Background and Form
The upcoming Liga MX Matchday 14 will see two teams clash at the León Stadium in Leon – Club Leon and Cruz Azul. Club Leon is currently in third place with seven wins and 25 points, while Cruz Azul stands eighth with six wins and 20 points. The last time these two teams met, Cruz Azul won with a score of 1-0. However, Club Leon has been performing well lately, winning four out of their last five matches.
Injuries and Expected Lineups
Despite their good form, Club Leon will be missing several key players due to injuries. Yairo Moreno, William Tesillo, and Jose David Ramirez will all be absent for the upcoming match. The expected opening lineup for Club Leon includes Rodolfo Cota, Iván Moreno, Jaine Barreiro, Adonis Frías, Osvaldo Rodríguez, Víctor Dávila, Ángel Mena, Fidel Ambriz, Elías Hernández, Lucas Di Yorio, José Alvarado.
Cruz Azul has also been performing well lately, winning three out of their last four matches. They are coming off of a win against Pachuca where Carlos Rodolfo Rotondi and Rodrigo Huescas scored goals. The expected opening lineup for Cruz Azul includes Jesús Corona, Juan Escobar, Ramiro Funes Mori, Julio César Domínguez, Rodrigo Huescas, Uriel Antuna, Erik Lira, Carlos Rotondi, José Rivero, Carlos Rodríguez, and Michael Estrada.
Rivalry between Cruz Azul and América
The rivalry between Mexican soccer clubs Cruz Azul and América has a long history. It started when these two teams met in the final in August 1972, and since then, both clubs have been involved in several confrontations. América won the Apertura 2018 final against Cruz Azul with a score of 2-0, despite Cruz Azul being the favorite to win. Only five players who took part in that final are still at their respective clubs, with three remaining at Cruz Azul and two at América.
Upcoming Match between Cruz Azul and América
The upcoming match between Cruz Azul and América will take place at Estadio Azteca. The previous season’s match saw Cruz Azul suffer a humiliating 7-0 loss to América, but under new coach Ricardo Ferretti, the team has improved and is unbeaten in its last five matches. On the other hand, América is pursuing its record 14th Liga MX championship and has the highest-scoring offense in the league.
The narrative that América dominates Cruz Azul is contested as the latter had a good record against America until last season’s match. However, América has dominated Cruz Azul in playoff matches, eliminating them in six consecutive postseason meetings. Despite this history, both teams are expected to play with high intensity, with neither backing down.
Prediction
Based on recent form and injuries, this article suggests that the match between Club Leon and Cruz Azul could end in a draw or Cruz Azul winning with both teams scoring goals. For the upcoming match between Cruz Azul and América, it is difficult to predict an outcome as both teams are evenly matched despite recent results favoring the latter.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
