This is a match between two mid-table sides with Guadalajara currently in 8th place and Cruz Azul in 10th. However, they are moving in the opposite direction at the moment. Cruz Azul have been slowly climbing up in recent weeks, whereas Guadalajara have been slipping down.
Only one point separates the two sides, which goes to show just how tight it is in that area of the table – the table looks different every week. The two sides have faced each other 29 times with a draw being the most common result – the two sides have drawn each other 12 times.
Cruz Azul have come out on top more often, however, winning 11 matches and losing just six. They are also playing at home and are the team in greater form. Everything points towards another home victory.
Previous Meetings
Guadalajara will be well aware that they came out on top the last time the two sides met, winning 1-0 back in April. They could really use a similar result once more. Cristian Calderón scored the only goal of the game in the 58th minute and you can’t say that it wasn’t deserved.
Guadalajara only had 42% of the possession but they got 13 shots off, with five finding the target. Cruz Azul, for all their possession, could only nine shots off with only one finding the target. Guadalajara should probably approach this game in a similar manner — sit back a little since they’re the away side and look for chances in transition.
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Cruz Azul Fight To Beat Universidad Nacional
Cruz Azul had to suffer for periods but ultimately came out victorious 2-1 in their last Liga MX match against Universidad Nacional. Cruz Azul didn’t have most of the possession in this match – just 46% of it – and also conceded 22 shots with 11 finding the target but held on in the end.
They got a two-goal lead thanks to Rodrigo Huescas and Gonzalo Carneiro, both of whom found the back of the net in the first half. Cruz Azul took 11 shots on the day with five finding the target. They had the clinical edge that their opponents lacked. Diogo got one back for Universidad Nacional to give Cruz Azul a real scare but there was no comeback eventually.
Winning Is A Good Habit
Cruz Azul have been far from perfect this season and they haven’t necessarily been excellent in recent games either but they’re starting to find ways to dig in and get the wins. They’ve won three in a row now and only lost once in their last six Liga MX matches.
With the next game at home against a side that haven’t been able to put on a run, the psychological edge might just be enough to see them through once more.
Defense Is Still A Massive Concern
No team in the Liga MX has conceded more than the 33 goals that Cruz Azul have this season. Their games are often high-scoring, which is great for the neutral but not good for their fans.
The number of goals conceded have reduced a little in recent weeks but as their last match suggested, they are still conceding lots of shots. There’s a feeling that this little winning run is a purple patch and they’ll go back to conceding a lot of goals.
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Guadalajara Suffer Another Loss
Guadalajara put in another decent performance but were on the losing side in their last Liga MX match against Club America. Club America are the top side in the Liga MX at the moment but Guadalajara managed to have 54% of the possession, take 17 shots and get three on target.
None of this was to any avail in the end. Club America may have just got 11 shots off and hit five on target but they were more clinical and that’s what ultimately mattered. Guadalajara got off to the worst start possible with Henry Martín scoring in the 4th minute before Alejandro Zendejas got another to give Club America a 2-0 lead.
Guadalajara did well to fight back with Cristian Calderón scoring in the 62nd minute but by then, Guadalajara had already given themselves too much to do. Club America held on and got all three points.
Defense Has Been Excellent
Unlike Cruz Azul, Guadalajara have absolutely no trouble at the back. They have been one of the best defensive sides in the league, conceding just 15 so far. Those numbers are good enough for league winning sides. Club America, who they lost to last time out, and are currently topping the Liga MX table have conceded one more than Guadalajara.
Cruz Azul are a decent side going forward and it’ll be hard for Guadalajara to hold on forever at the Azteca but their defense should be able to help them out in the long-term. They’ll be capable of taking any team in the league on with such a strong backline. But it isn’t enough to be good going back if you aren’t able to cause trouble up front.
The Attack Has Been Abysmal
A side that is ranked 8th in the table shouldn’t be scoring at the rate Guadalajara have been scoring goals. They’ve scored 18 goals from 16 games, which is something you see from teams at the bottom of the table.
In the earlier section, it was noted how good Guadalajara are at defending their goal but it seems to have cost them in other areas. Cruz Azul and most other teams in the Liga MX will have nothing to fear when Guadalajara come to town. Alexis Vega needs help. The forward has scored five goals and assisted four so far this season. He’s been involved in half the goals for his side.
It’s hard to imagine what the team would do without him. It might be time for Guadalajara to open up a little more even if it comes at the cost of some defensive stability. Their last match might be instructive. Cruz Azul scored really early and it didn’t matter if Guadalajara defended well for the rest of the game.
A goal can come from anywhere and completely ruin a decent defensive game-plan. Football is a low-scoring sport, which is why ‘attack is the best defense’ has become a pretty popular phrase within the sport.
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