Pumas aims to break Jalisco curse against Chivas

Chivas Guadalajara and Pumas UNAM square off once again in Zapopan, clashing in Week 12 action of Liga MX.

We are getting down to the business end of the Liga MX season, and Chivas finds itself just outside playoff positioning. The Rebaño Sagrado know they need to win games to stay alive in the tournament, and they will hope that their 1-1 draw against rivals Club América last week can serve as some sort of inspiration in the final six games of the season.

Pumas UNAM, on the other hand, is fifth in the league table and comes into this match after a disappointing 2-2 draw with Puebla. The Universitarios have been far from brilliant but go into Saturday’s game having gone unbeaten in their last five Liga MX games.

Chivas Guadalajara vs Pumas UNAM Game Center

For Chivas, the less pressure the better

Chivas goalkeeper Raul Gudiño has been the talk of the town in Mexican football. The 22-year-old goalkeeper was superb in last week’s Clásico Nacional against Club América, making a last-minute penalty save to keep the score at 1-1 at the Estadio Azteca.

It’s always a matter of perception, and while Club América will see the result as an opportunity lost, for Chivas it keeps them en route to their objective of making the Liguilla. As of today, Chivas has more points than they had all of last season, and by the looks of it, they will need to win at least half of their remaining games to meet that objective.

But Gudiño’s save did more than clinch an important point for Chivas, it kept pressure at a minimum heading into this crucial clash, and that’s something the Chivas players like. This remains a relatively young team, and they are still learning how to get through the trials and tribulations of Liga MX.

Will Pumas finally break the curse?

Coincidentally, Chivas and Pumas UNAM faced off just a week and a half ago in the Round of 16 of the Copa MX. Pumas ended up winning that match 3-1 in what turned out to be a historic victory for the Universitarios. As incredible as it may sound, it was the first Pumas win in Jalisco over the Rojiblancos in 36 years and their first-ever win at the Estadio Chivas.

This, of course, is Copa MX we are talking about and Chivas opted to rest several of its starters, which takes away some of the shine on Pumas’ win.

The record, though, does still stand in Liga MX, where it is still 36 years without a Liga MX win for Pumas at Chivas. The good news for Pumas backers is that they already have a win in Jalisco this Liga MX season, beating Atlas 3-0 at the Estadio Jalisco. It’s not Chivas, but it did end a 14-year winless streak in Guadalajara for the Universitarios.

The UNDER seems like a safe bet in this one

As far as entertainment value, the games between Chivas and Pumas have always been on the boring side of things. My gut feeling is there won’t be too many goals in this one. Three of the last four head-to-head Liga MX meetings between these two teams have gone UNDER the total, along with 19 of their last 22. That’s a lot of games, and I’d expect this one to be another one that goes UNDER.

My pick...

The last two Liga MX meetings between Chivas and Pumas ended in 1-1 draws, and something tells me this one is headed the same way. I don’t see much separating the two teams, and I’d imagine that in high-pressure games like this one, both teams will be more than happy to settle for a low-scoring draw.