Jose de Jesus Corona Cruz Azul vs Santos Laguna Betting Odds Preview Liga MX soccer Mexico

Cruz Azul seeks some positive momentum as they host Santos Laguna

Cruz Azul continues to perform below their desired level. On Saturday, they play host to Santos Laguna, in action of Week 7 of the 2019 Liga MX Clausura, as they search for their first win in three weeks.

La Máquina have been struggling of late and arrive to this match on the back of a 1-1 draw to Toluca. Pedro Caixinha’s men have failed to live up to expectations after reaching last season’s final and will now face a tough test in Santos Laguna. Like Cruz Azul, the Guerreros have had a modest start to their season and also come into this match after failing to win their last game, in a 1-1 draw against Xolos de Tijuana.

Currently, Cruz Azul and Santos Laguna are tied with eight points each and are 10th and ninth respectively.

SHARK BITES
  • Each one of Cruz Azul’s last five Liga MX matches at home has finished in the UNDER.
  • Santos Laguna has just two wins in its last 11 matches across all competitions.
  • Nine of Santos Laguna’s last 10 Liga MX matches have finished in the UNDER.

Cruz Azul vs Santos Laguna Game Center

Cruz Azul has entered a rough patch

It's been a rough two weeks for Cruz Azul across both Liga MX and Copa MX. La Máquina are without a win in their last three, and this is the second time this season they have gone through a negative patch of winless games. Earlier in the season, Cruz Azul kicked off the campaign winless in their first three, including defeats against Chivas and León. They’ve also been unusually bad at home during the last two months of Liga MX and Copa MX play. La Máquina have just one win in their last four matches at the Estadio Azteca.

It is worth reminding that this is a Cruz Azul team that went undefeated at home all of last season until the very end, losing the Liga MX final to Club América. It’s exactly why it makes sense that some fans are starting to get worried about the immediate future of this team.

Why the UNDER seems like a good bet

At first glance, one of the bigger issues with this Cruz Azul team after the first month has been their lack of scoring. Last season, La Máquina weren’t very good offensively, but their defense more than made up for it. This season they don’t seem to be getting the same effectiveness on the defensive end, especially with the exit of Ivan Marcone, their anchor in the midfield.

As you might imagine, Cruz Azul’s lack of scoring combined with their OK defense has resulted in a lot of games that have finished in the UNDER. Each one of Cruz Azul’s last six matches across all competitions has finished in the UNDER. This includes their first two home matches of the 2018 Liga MX Clausura at the Estadio Azteca.

Santos Lagunas continuous struggle away from home

Santos Laguna would like their chances of winning at the Estadio Azteca even more if it weren’t for their lack of productivity away from the Estadio Corona. The Guerreros have been awful away from home, and it’s something that has been affecting this team for a while now. At the moment, Santos has accumulated a total of seven straight games without a win away from home. In total, they have just two wins in their last 18.

If that weren’t enough, Santos has also struggled in recent visits to Mexico City to take on La Máquina. In their last seven clashes vs Cruz Azul in Mexico City, the Guerreros have only one win, a 1-0 victory at the Estadio Azul back in April of 2016.

My take on the game...

You can tell several teams are struggling right now to produce good results, for one reason or another. It’s one of the reasons why there have been so many draws in the last few weeks. I think this match is headed toward a similar result. Santos Laguna is a decent team, and Cruz Azul just can’t seem to get it together. I’m going with a draw at the Estadio Azteca.

Each one of Cruz Azul’s last five Liga MX matches at home has finished in the UNDER.home Santos Laguna has just two wins in its last 11 matches across all competitions.away Nine of Santos Laguna’s last 10 Liga MX matches have finished in the UNDER.away
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