Santos vs Querétaro is one of the standout fixtures of jornada 12 because it brings together the tournament’s two longest unbeaten runs. On Saturday, October 17 at 17:00 hours at TSM in Torreón, Coahuila, the match also offers Querétaro a chance to keep pushing from third place in a season that has already changed expectations.
That matters because Querétaro’s rise has not come from a lavish budget. They are operating with the third-smallest payroll, yet Esteban González has guided them to third in the standings and into a run that has made them look like genuine contenders rather than a short-lived surprise.
Querétaro’s surge has changed the conversation
Before this trip to Torreón, Querétaro had gone a month and a half without losing a match, and their last five outings have brought four wins and one draw. The sequence has been strong and varied, with victories over Atlas by 3-1, Xolos by 1-0, Chivas by 2-0 and Atlante by 2-0, plus a 1-1 draw with León.
For a side expected to sit well below the front-runners, that kind of consistency is what has turned them into one of the storylines of the tournament. They have not just taken points; they have done it against opponents that normally carry far more weight in Liga MX conversations.
Santos have rediscovered their edge
Santos arrive with a very different kind of momentum, but one that is just as impressive. Before this recent run, they went seven jornadas without a victory, yet now they have won four straight after beating Bravos 2-1 and then taking a 3-1 away win over Toluca.
That turnaround has been central to their resurgence under Renato Paiva. Santos have gone from the worst team of the season to a side that suddenly looks capable of troubling bigger names, and that is why this fixture feels more significant than a routine league meeting.
Both clubs now find themselves in the same broad conversation as América, Toluca, Cruz Azul, Chivas and Tigres, even if few would have expected that at the start of the season. For Querétaro, the chance to keep climbing from third is real. For Santos, the test is whether their revival can keep pace with one of the tournament’s surprise front-runners.
