Cruz Azul Hidalgo 1–2 Club Atlético Morelia — Morelia climbed the Ascenso MX standings with a hard-earned away victory at the Estadio 10 de Diciembre on 16 August 2026, while Cruz Azul Hidalgo were left to regret a slow start that ultimately cost them a share of the points.

Morelia strike early and hold on

Club Atlético Morelia looked the sharper side from the opening exchanges, pressing high and forcing Cruz Azul Hidalgo into uncharacteristic errors in midfield. The visitors were rewarded in the 21st minute when Jesús Ávila collected a precise pass from the right channel, cut inside his marker, and produced a low finish that beat the home goalkeeper at his near post.

Although Cruz Azul Hidalgo grew into the half, their equaliser came after the restart through a moment of individual quality. Substitute forward Kevin Rojas, introduced at the interval, found space 20 yards out and curled a superb strike into the top corner to bring the home fans to their feet and make it 1–1 in the 57th minute.

Second-half shift and decisive winner

With momentum seemingly swinging Cruz Azul Hidalgo’s way, Morelia showed the composure of a side with promotion ambitions. They adjusted their shape, sat slightly deeper, and began targeting the flanks. The winning goal arrived with just under 20 minutes remaining when a quickly taken corner caught Cruz Azul Hidalgo napping, allowing Diego Ortega to steer a header past the exposed goalkeeper.

The home side pushed forward in the closing stages, but Morelia’s backline stayed compact and saw out the match with relative comfort to secure all three points.

Key takeaways

• The victory lifted Morelia into the upper half of the Ascenso MX table after an encouraging run of form.
• Cruz Azul Hidalgo remained mid-table, with their defensive lapses proving costly in a match they otherwise controlled for long stretches.
• The result highlighted Morelia’s effectiveness on the road, where they have now collected valuable points in consecutive weeks.

For Cruz Azul Hidalgo, this was a frustrating afternoon of what-ifs. They will look to tighten their set-piece organisation and sharpen their finishing ahead of the next round as the Ascenso MX season continues to take shape.