Cruz Azul vs Tigres UANL Prediction, Betting Odds, Picks

• Tigres UANL have beaten Cruz Azul only once in their last five meetings
• Cruz Azul defeated Club Necaxa in a penalty shootout in the reclassification round to get get to the quarter-finals after conceding a late equalizer this past weekend
• Tigres UANL finished second in the league and earned automatic qualification to the quarterfinals

Cruz Azul vs Tigres UANL Odds

The odds for Cruz Azul vs Tigres UANL are provided by DraftKings. Click on the links in the table below to head to the sportsbook, sign-up, and place your bet.

Cruz Azul vs Tigres UANL Pick

Tigres UANL to win, over 2.5 goals

Take a look at our guide how to bet on soccer!

Tigres UANL do not have the best record against Cruz Azul in the last five meetings as they have lost twice and won just once against them. They will be looking to put that out of their minds this week when the two sides clash in the Liga MX Clausura quarterfinals.

The last time these two sides met was back in early March and the game ended in a draw. André-Pierre Gignac and Juan Vigón handed Tigres an early 2-0 lead before the half-hour mark. Luis Abram managed to change the momentum just before half time by pulling once back for Azul.

The visiting side dominated the second half but could not get a goal until the very end. Tigres believed they had the game in their hands, but José Rivero had other plans, and he scored in injury time.

This time round, however, it is Tigres UANL who come in with the advantage of confidence. They finished well above Cruz Azul, who tapered off towards the end of the season, and qualified directly to the quarter-finals.

Cruz Azul, in fact, were one of the teams who fell victim to Tigres’ march upwards on the table, even though Tigres ended up picking up only a point from their last three league games. They finished second, eight points ahead of Cruz Azul who finished eighth.

Cruz Azul Sneak Into Playoffs Despite Shaky End to League Stage

Cruz Azul were one of the favorites for the top 4 spot midway through the league season but failed to make it at the end. They managed just one win in their last five league games and lost twice – dropping 13 points and finishing 8th in the table.

Azul’s lone win in the last stretch of the season came against Queretaro. The home side, who failed to qualify for the playoffs, did not have an answer to Pablo Aguilar’s goal, and the game ended 1-0 in favor of the visiting side.

Inconsistency Costs Cruz Azul

The string of poor performances were a big disappointment for Reynoso as his side failed to make the most of their chances. They could have finished in the top 4 and automatically qualified for the quarterfinals but could not get the three points they needed from the last two games.

They lost the penultimate game of the league season to Atletico de San Luis after failing to respond to Ricardo Chávez’s goal. It was the lone goal of the match, and Azul could not do anything with their 58% possession. They managed just one shot on target, and it was a similar story in the final game too.

Up against Club America, it was a winner takes all situation, and Azul failed to get the win. They could not do anything to break the opponent’s defense and were pinned back throughout the game, which ended goalless and helped the home side finish 4th in the table.

Dramatic Reclassification Round Seals Quarter-Final Spot

Their playoff clash against Club Necaxa was nothing short of dramatic. After a first half where both sides played a little safe, Juan Escobar handed Azul the lead in the 56th minute. Once again, they made the mistake of sitting back after scoring and eventually paid the price in the 88th minute.

Rodrigo Aguirre pulled Club Necaxa level with just minutes left in the game, and the goal was finally awarded after a lengthy VAR check. The Azul players could not believe their luck and the game went into a penalty shootout.

Sebastián Jurado saved the first penalty from Necaxa’s Fabricio Formiliano and it was advantage Azul from the start. Ángel Romero, Adrián Aldrete and Luis Abram took the penalties for the home side and they all scored.

Ángelo Araos was the only one to score for Necaxa, and they ended up losing 3-1. Agustín Oliveros had his penalty off target, while Jurado saved Arturo Palma’s effort to put Azul in the quarterfinals.  Juan Maximo Reynoso will be happy with the result, but the performance was far from perfect again.

Tigres UNAM Need to Put Their League Form Behind and Focus on What Is Ahead

Tigres made a poor start to the Clausura season, with a draw against Santos Laguna. They needed a goal from Carlos Salcedo deep into injury time to get the draw after Laguna scored their lone goal early in the second half.

In the next game week, Puebla made it worse for Tigres by winning 2-0 at the Estadio Universitario (UNAL). André-Pierre Gignac missed a penalty late in the game to bring his side back after Pablo Parra and Carlos Salcedo (own goal) helped the away side take the lead.

Early Shock Puts Tigres on Track

The shock start saw Tigres players get a wake-up call, and they responded well. The next game was the start of a five-match winning run and in fine fashion.

André-Pierre Gignac stepped up to take the penalty deep into injury time and, this time, found the back of the net to help Tigres come from behind and win. Jero Rodríguez had scored in the first half to give Pumas the lead before Nico López leveled things up in the 78th minute.

Tigres were yet to put on a dominating display, which continued against Mazatlan in the next game week. They took a 2-0 lead early in the first half via Juan Vigón’s brace but were back level in the 65th minute after Brian Rubio and Nicolás Benedetti scored for the away side. André-Pierre Gignac and Carlos González helped the homeside restore the two-goal lead quickly before Miguel Sansores scored late to end the game 3-4.

Miguel Herrera’s men finally managed to win without any headache when they traveled to face Guadalajara. They cruised to a 3-0 lead with goals from Guido Pizarro, André-Pierre Gignac and Carlos González before Roberto Alvarado scored once for the home side.

Dominant Winning Run Ensures Direct Qualification

The winning run continued against San Luis and Juarez before Cruz Azul halted it with a 2-2 draw. The two sides meet once again this week, and Tigres will be looking to avoid a repeat of the same result.

Their first clean sheet of the season came in the away clash at Club Leon when they won 2-0, and that was the start of a 3-match winning run without conceding a goal. They defeated Monterrey 2-0 and then beat Club Tijuana with the same scoreline.

They could not keep the run going when they faced Pachuca, and eventually lost the top spot to them. The table-toppers eased past Tigres with a 2-0 result and took control of the league table.

Wins over Queretaro and Roluca sealed the top 4 place for them, and they will be happy to have done so with games to spare. Miguel Herrera experimented a little in the last three games, and they failed to pick up a single win. They lost to Club Necaxa and Club America before drawing the season’s final match with Atlas.

See what’s the best online sportsbook for payouts before you sign up!

How to Watch Cruz Azul vs Tigres UANL