Even though Chivas recently defeated Leon (the current title-holders) and will be hosting this Saturday’s match, can you trust them for a win? Regardless of their three points gained earlier this week, there is much that they must still prove in their underwhelming start to the 2021 Clausura.
Necaxa themselves haven’t been brilliant either this season, but when comparing them to Chivas, the two are quite close when it comes to how they’ve performed.
With only one point separating the two in the league table, it’s difficult to say that Chivas should have no issues claiming a win. That’ll be a close one.
Pick:
The Tie (+240)
How to Watch Chivas vs Necaxa
| Chivas vs Necaxa Information |
| What |
Chivas vs Necaxa |
| Where |
Estadio Akron (Guadalajara, Mexico) |
| When |
Saturday, February 13th at 8:00 PM ET |
| How to Watch |
Telemundo |
It’s fascinating how dramatic and hyperbolic Mexican sports media can be about big Liga MX clubs like Chivas.
One week ago, headlines and articles heavily criticized the team for being in an apparent crisis. “Fatal Start” read one cover that seemed to already be calling off the season for the team that had zero wins in four games. Other reports went even as far as claiming that manager Victor Manuel Vucetich could soon lose his job.
Days later, the tone has significantly changed. With their 3-1 win earlier this week over current champions Leon, there is a sense by many that Chivas may finally be back. A victory over the best team from last season should surely point to more continued success going forward, right?
Or maybe, and potentially unfortunately for Chivas, not much has truly been altered.
Did Chivas Have A Bit Of Luck In Their Recent And Only Win?
Let me first start by saying that like other sports, most if not all teams need a bit of luck in successful seasons. The coin sometimes lands in your favor, and when we look at Chivas’ impressive victory over Leon, that might have been what happened.
Or at the very least, we could say that the scoreline was deceiving.
Although Leon had more corners, shots, possession of the ball, crosses, and duels won, they squandered chance after chance in the final third. In fact, according to FiveThirtyEight, Leon finished with an equal shot-based xG (expected goals) as Chivas with a 1.9 rating, and a higher non-shot xG rating — which implies better build-up and chance creation.
Credit to Chivas for not wasting their own opportunities, but could they do it for the second game in a row after struggling in their four previous games?
Necaxa Have Had Brief Moments Of Promise
I’m also not here to say that Necaxa will be convincing or threatening this week — that’s just not the kind of team that has been this season. What I am here to say though is that they could give Chivas some trouble.
Let’s take a look at some of their noteworthy recent performances. Necaxa arguably outplayed Mazatlan in their 3-2 season-opening loss, defeated San Luis 1-0 after going down to 10 men, and just a few weeks back, they held Liga MX giants Tigres to a 1-1 draw.
Once again, this isn’t to say that Necaxa will be a superpower this Liga MX season. Similar to Chivas, they only have one victory to their name. And yet, they do have the capabilities of being a thorn in the side for fellow teams who have shown plenty of cracks in the new year — like Chivas.
Defensive Problems Have Yet To Be Resolved For Chivas
Only two teams — Mazatlan and San Luis — have given up more goals than Chivas so far this season. And keep in mind, Chivas were somewhat lucky to only allow one against Leon, which just so happened to be an own-goal.
With eight goals allowed in five games, there’s reason to worry for the squad that has yet to figure out its best defensive options. As typically seen in other positions, Vucetich has had a tendency to tinker and alter his backline from game-to-game, and although it recently paid dividends after giving 90 minutes to a game-changer like Alejandro Mayorga, it’s clear that the defense has yet to be finalized.
Necaxa should be able to take advantage of this, and despite the fact that they haven’t been playing at a high level, they should at least have a fighting chance for a competitive draw.
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