Puebla vs Monterrey Predictions: Monterrey Aiming For Three Successive Wins

• Club Puebla held Club America to a 2-2 draw last week and are currently in tenth place on the table
• CF Monterrey eased past Atletico de San Luis last week to register back-to-back wins and are third on the table
• In the Apertura season, CF Monterrey beat Club Puebla 1-0 at the Estadio BBVA with John Medina scoring the only goal of the match

Puebla vs Monterrey Odds

Odds taken from BetMGM

Puebla vs Monterrey Pick

CF Monterrey to win (+105)

Puebla vs Monterrey Predictions

This will be an entertaining and tight encounter between two good sides. There was nothing but a solitary goal that separated them in the Apertura encounter. This time, considering the recent form and individual performances, it seems like CF Monterrey will end their barren run at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc with a win over Club Puebla.

An 86th-minute Edwin Cardona penalty handed CF Monterrey their last Liga MX win over Club Puebla in 2017. After that, CF Monterrey remained winless in Club Puebla’s backyard. However, this time around, with the momentum in their favor coupled with Club Puebla’s shaky start of the season, CF Monterrey have glorious chance to end their barren streak

Previous Meetings

John Medina scored at the half-hour mark in the reverse fixture during the Apertura 2022 season as CF Monterrey clinched all three points with a narrow 1-0 victory. The last time these two sides met in the Clausura season of 2022, it was Club Puebla that secured a scrappy 1-0 win after Diego De Buen scored the only goal of the match after just three minutes.

In the last five Liga MX league games that have been played between the two sides at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc, Club Puebla have won three games, while CF Monterrey have only won once. That solitary victory was registered in the Clausura season of 2017.

Puebla Still Recovering From Past Hammerings

Club Puebla secured what can be considered a positive result at this juncture against Club America last week. In the Apertura 2022 playoffs, Club America were prolific against Club Puebla and handed them an 11-2 aggregate defeat in the quarter-finals.

Unfortunately for Club Puebla, the Clausura 2023 season began the same way last season ended. In the opening game of the season, Apertura 2022 champions Pachuca ran rampant and walloped Club Puebla 5-1.

In the second game, there was some respite for Club Puebla after a 2-0 victory over Queretaro FC before the draw against Club America last week. In the last five games, Club Puebla have conceded 18 goals and scored just 17.

One big positive ahead of the game against CF Monterrey for Club Puebla is their strong performance at home during the Apertura 2022 season. The club lost just one out of their nine home games but did see five of them end in draws.

Tactical Switch Working For The Hosts 

After conceding a flurry of goals with three center-backs, Club Puebla decided to tweak the tactics in their last two games. In both games, new manager Eduardo Arce has opted for a 4-1-4-1 formation which has worked well for Club Puebla.

Defenders Emanuel Gularte and Gaston Silva have been stellar in both games so far. In fact, both players were on the scoresheet in the last game against Club America. Diego De Buen is the side’s anchor playing between the defense and midfield.

The side’s top-scorer in Apertura 2022, Martin Barragan, is yet to provide what is expected of him. Last season, Barragan had ten goal contributions, including nine goals and a solitary assist. So far this season, the striker has only scored once in three games.

Mancuello - Puebla’s Key In Midfield 

During the Apertura season, Federico Mancuello notched a total of three assists in 20 games. This season, the midfielder has two assists and a goal in three matches. Playing alongside Facundo Waller in midfield, just ahead of De Buen has reaped its benefits for Mancuello.

The 33-year-old was not on the scoresheet last week but did have a crack at goal twice from outside the box. Both his shots were on target but kept out by the goalkeeper. Mancuello played 11 passes into the final third against Club America.

The midfielder won 2 of 3 tackles and made eight recoveries. He struggled a bit when it came to ground duels, but what he loses in physicality, he makes up for in creativity.

Monterrey Aiming For Three Successive Wins  

CF Monterrey came really close to winning their sixth Liga MX title in the Apertura 2022 season. The club finished second in the league stage, only three points behind Club America after losing the fewest games (2) in the 17 league games.

The side reached the semi-finals of the Apertura playoffs before getting eliminated by eventual champions Pachuca. Additionally, CF Monterrey went the entire Apertura 2022 season without losing a single game at home.

However, on the opening day of the 2023 Clausura season, CD Guadalajara handed them not only their first defeat of the new season but also the first home defeat of the entire Liga MX 2022-23 season.

After the shock on opening day, CF Monterrey bounced back with two back-to-back wins against Cruz Azul and Atletico de San Luis. Riding on the momentum, the club will be hoping to extend its winning streak to continue its charge towards the top of the table.

Monterrey Without First Choice Right Winger 

In the second week of January, Maximiliano Meza picked up an injury that ruled him out for the last two games. The winger is also doubtful for CF Monterrey’s next encounter with Club Puebla.

The club has managed to win both of their last games without the winger. However, the 30-year-old is still an integral part of the squad. Striker German Berterame slotted onto the right flank in the last match.

In the Apertura league phase last season, made 16 appearances. The Argentinian midfielder scored one goal and assisted four. In the playoffs, his on-pitch impact did not provide any impressive on-paper stats.

Monterrey’s Veteran Firing On All Cylinders

Playing in his eighth straight season of Liga MX with CF Monterrey, Rogelio Funes Mori has once again got off to a perfect start this Clausura season. Mori finished the Apertura season with five goals and two assists to his name.

Three games into the new season, Mori has almost matched his entire tally of last season. The striker has scored four goals in three games. However, Mori has failed to score in the last five Liga MX games against Club Puebla.

That is a barren run he would like to end this weekend. The Mexican is closing in on 300 appearances for CF Monterrey. He has scored a little under 150 goals and would love to add another one to his tally against their next opponents.    

How To Watch Puebla vs Monterrey

• Teams: Puebla vs Monterrey
• Location: Estadio Cuauhtémoc
• Time: Friday, January 27 at 8 pm ET
• How to watch: Univision networks TUDN and UniMas, ESPN Deportes, Telemundo and Fox Deportes