The Mexican soccer league, Liga MX, is expected to heat up this weekend with two exciting matches – Club Leon vs Cruz Azul and the Clásico Joven between Club América and Cruz Azul. Here is a preview of both games.
Club Leon vs Cruz Azul Match Preview
On Sunday, Club Leon will host Cruz Azul at Estadio León for their Matchday 14 encounter. Club Leon is currently third in the league table, with seven wins and 25 points. On the other hand, Cruz Azul stands in eighth place with six wins and 20 points.
The last time these two teams faced each other, Cruz Azul won 1-0, and they have won their last three encounters. However, Club Leon comes into this game full of confidence after defeating Violette AC 5-0 in the CONCACAF Champions League Quarter-Finals.
Club Leon will miss some key players due to injuries, including Yairo Moreno, William Tesillo, and Jose David Ramirez. On the other hand, Cruz Azul has been improving with three wins in their last four games.
According to experts’ betting tips, there could be a draw or a win for Cruz Azul. Both teams are expected to score, and the match total is expected to be over 2.5 goals.
The Historic Rivalry Between Cruz Azul and América
Cruz Azul and Club América have a long-standing rivalry that dates back to their first encounter in the final of the 1972 Mexican soccer league tournament. Since then, they have been involved in several confrontations in regular season and final phases.
In the Apertura 2018 final between these two teams, Club América defeated Cruz Azul with a convincing scoreline of 2-0. Interestingly, only five players who took part in the final are still with their respective clubs. Cruz Azul was the favorite going into the Apertura 2018 final, but they lost to their rivals.
Club América is currently pursuing their record 14th Liga MX championship, led by MVP candidate Henry Martín and joined by Diego Valdés, Jonathan Rodríguez, and Alejandro Zendejas. On the other hand, Cruz Azul’s creative midfielder Carlos Rodríguez will be a key player for their attack.
The Clásico Joven: Club América vs Cruz Azul
The Clásico Joven between Club América and Cruz Azul is one of the most anticipated matches in Liga MX. The two teams will play each other at Estadio Azteca on Sunday.
Eight months ago, Cruz Azul suffered a humiliating 7-0 loss to Club América that was the worst loss in their history. This season, “La Máquina Azul” wants to show that they are not afraid of “los Azulcremas.”
Cruz Azul sacked coach Diego Aguirre last season and recovered under new coach Raúl Gutiérrez to claim a wildcard berth. However, Gutiérrez was dismissed in February 2022 after a poor start, and new coach Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti has led them to climb to eighth place.
Club América’s Coach Fernando Ortiz downplays the importance of the game for his team while they pursue their 14th Liga MX championship title. However, as always with this fixture, high-intensity levels on the pitch and some off-the-field confrontations are expected.
While Cruz Azul has not lost to Club América in a regular-season game since March 2018 until last season’s defeat, the Clásico Joven has regularly witnessed Club América overthrowing Marc Crosas’ team. Nonetheless, the game’s outcome remains unpredictable, and it is expected to be a high-intensity affair.
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