The Apertura 2026 has once again confirmed the evolution of Diego Campillo. The center back who came through the Cantera Rojiblanca has established himself as an immensely valuable piece for Guadalajara and, matchday after matchday, has shown that his growth goes hand in hand with a greater influence within Gabriel Milito’s system.
Ahead of Jornada 8, in which Chivas will host Pumas at Estadio AKRON, Campillo emerges as the player to watch for El Rebaño Sagrado, both because of the level he has shown throughout the tournament and because of his previous performances against the university side.
The 24-year-old defender has played in 6 of Guadalajara’s 7 matches in AP26, and he has found an ideal setting in the libero position to maximize some of his main strengths: reading the game, defending large spaces and his ability to initiate attacks from the back.
Campillo has become one of the main players responsible for maintaining Guadalajara’s high defensive line. On many occasions, he is the last man back and, from that position, he has had to directly face forwards with tremendous quality and very different characteristics.
Throughout this tournament, he has demonstrated his ability to prevail in individual duels against powerful and fast attackers, while also improving considerably when defending the space behind the defensive line.
His evolution is also reflected with the ball. Campillo is one of the players who contributes the most during Guadalajara’s first phase of buildup, particularly through short passes and balls played between the lines that allow the team to bypass the opponent’s first or second line of pressure.
And his influence is not limited to a single position. In the match against Tijuana’s Xolos, for example, he performed a dual role: he started as a libero and later moved into the right-sided stopper position. It was precisely from that area that he found the space to score the goal he has registered in AP26.
That match summarizes much of what Campillo currently represents for Chivas: a defender capable of adapting to different scenarios without losing his impact on the game. In addition to his goal, he has one assist in the tournament, with both contributions coming against Tijuana.
His adaptation to Gabriel Milito’s model is no coincidence. Since returning to Guadalajara, the Durango native has progressively found the best way to maximize his qualities within the team. More than simply playing in different positions, he has discovered how to maximize his true impact on the team’s collective performance.
The evidence is in his ability to defend far from his own goal, win direct duels and, at the same time, provide the team with clean distribution. A particularly valuable combination for a Guadalajara side that seeks to impose its conditions with a high defensive line.
Now, against Pumas, he will have the opportunity to once again be a protagonist. Last tournament, Campillo was already decisive against the university side at Estadio AKRON, a match in which he provided an assist and delivered a solid defensive performance. It is a precedent he will look to repeat in this Jornada 8 of the Apertura 2026.
Because of his growth, his ability to defend large spaces, his contribution with the ball and the importance he has gained within the Rojiblanco system, Diego Campillo is the Chivas player to watch against Pumas.
