Cecilio Dominguez Club América vs Xolos de Tijuana Betting Odds Preview Liga MX soccer

Club América has been money against Xolos de Tijuana

With only five games remaining in the 2018 Liga MX Apertura regular season, Xolos de Tijuana travels to the Estadio Azteca to take on Club América on Saturday.

It’s all coming together in the Liga MX Apertura standings, and Xolos de Tijuana knows it needs to start earning points quickly in order to make the playoffs. At the moment, the border side is 10th in the standings and tied in points with eighth-place Querétaro.

Club América is set to be no easy task for the Fronterizos. Las Águilas arrive to this match after having shocked Tigres UANL 3-2 at the Estadio Universitario and an international break that saw the team get healthy, including the return of young superstar forward Diego Lainez. América is sitting comfortably in second place with 24 points and knows one more win would virtually seal its place in the 2018 Liga MX Apertura playoffs.

SHARK BITES
  • Five of Xolos de Tijuana’s last seven matches away from home across all competitions have gone UNDER the total.
  • Club América has not lost in its last six Liga MX games.
  • Only Cruz Azul has conceded fewer goals than Club América when playing at home this season.

Club América vs Xolos de Tijuana Game Center

América remains a sure bet at the Estadio Azteca

It’s not unusual that Club América has done so well this season at the Estadio Azteca. What is unusual is that Club América is still unbeaten at home with three regular-season home games to go. On average, Club América loses at least one home game a season, and they are seemingly en route to break with that trend. Las Águilas haven’t always looked convincing, but in five games at the Estadio Azteca, Miguel Herrera’s men have three wins and two draws and have outscored opponents 11-4 in the process.

If you were, of course, to believe the law of averages, then you are probably thinking America’s defeat is coming. But Xolos de Tijuana hasn’t been able to beat Club América at the Estadio Azteca since 2012, which sums up to five straight games without a win for the Fronterizos.

Tijuana’s tactics have to be questioned

Diego Cocca’s Mourinhoesque tactics have been a topic of debate all season for Xolos de Tijuana fans, and it’s with good reason. While the Xolaje have never been known for their attacking football, the reality is their overly defensive style of play hasn’t always worked, especially during the last few games. Tijuana arrives to this match on the back of three straight without a win in all competitions, including a 2-1 defeat to Cruz Azul at home in the Copa MX quarterfinals.

Offensively, though, is where they have struggled the most. In fact, Tijuana has been unable to score more than a goal a game in eight straight games across all competitions, going scoreless in three.

History tends to favor América

Excluding a Copa MX knockout phase game between these two teams back in March of last year, recently this matchup has been exclusively dominated by Club América. Sure, the last three games have ended in boring draws, but in total, América has not lost a league game against Tijuana in their last six. 

The numbers are overwhelmingly in favor of las Águilas. There is also the aforementioned just one defeat at the Estadio Azteca and Tijuana’s inability to score against América, having gone scoreless in four of their last six Liga MX meetings against the Mexico City giants.

My pick...

An América win looks like a foregone conclusion. The question is how many goals should we expect? Tijuana does have a propensity for conceding lots of goals away from home against good teams (see Monterrey and Toluca), but you’d imagine with the Liguilla virtually a point away and facing a highly defensive team that América settles for a low-scoring win.

Five of Xolos de Tijuana’s last seven matches away from home across all competitions have gone UNDER the total.away Club América has not lost in its last six Liga MX games.home Only Cruz Azul has conceded fewer goals than Club América when playing at home this season.home
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