The semifinals of the 2018 Liga MX Apertura are set and on Wednesday league leader Cruz Azul takes on Monterrey at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer in the first leg of their final-four clash.
La Máquina keep on rolling after easily beating Querétaro in the quarterfinals by an aggregate score of 3-1. Pedro Caixinha’s men were dominant in their first playoff showing and will look to continue that dominance against a tough Monterrey team.
Monterrey arrives to this match after eliminating defending champion Santos Laguna. Rayados first got a narrow victory at home before taking care of business in the second leg in a tough Estadio Corona, winning with an aggregate scoreline of 3-0.
- Monterrey has won five straight Liga MX matches at home.
- Cruz Azul has won its last four matches away from home across all competitions.
- Both teams have drawn three times in their last four meetings at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer.
Monterrey vs Cruz Azul Game Center
Both teams have momentum on their side
As has been the case all season for Cruz Azul, the Mexico City side is quietly getting on with their objectives and proving their doubters wrong left and right. Even at the start of the quarterfinals, Cruz Azul was behind rival Club América in the list of favorites to win the title, but against Querétaro they showed why they should be treated as the No. 1 candidate to win it all. They have all the momentum on their side and come into these semifinals on a streak of six straight Liga MX games without a defeat.
Monterrey is carrying some momentum too, however, going unbeaten in its last five Liga MX games. Diego Alonso’s side seems to be on the ascent, and the big focal point here is they are healthier than ever after suffering a long list of injuries during the regular season.
Cruz Azul has been like kryptonite for Monterrey
Coincidentally, Cruz Azul and Monterrey met as recently as a few weeks ago in the 2018 Copa MX Apertura final. Not only did Cruz Azul lift the trophy in front of Monterrey’s home fans, they also continued a long streak of dominance over the Rayados.
Indeed, Cruz Azul has been absolute kryptonite for the Rayados in recent years. In fact, Monterrey has not been able to beat Cruz Azul since 2014. That accumulates to nine straight games across all competitions without being able to beat los Cementeros. In total, Monterrey has just one win in its last 18 matches vs Cruz Azul. That includes four defeats at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer.
If there is some good news for Monterrey, it is that they actually beat Cruz Azul twice last time they met in a Liguilla, although it was nearly 10 years ago in the 2009 Apertura final. Monterrey ended up winning the championship that season with an aggregate score of 6-4.
A series destined for just a few goals
Interestingly enough, every match within the quarterfinals stage ended with the final result hitting the OVER except for the matches Cruz Azul and Monterrey played in. This is a pretty good indication that we might be in for a low-scoring series between these two teams.
Recently, eight of Cruz Azul’s last 10 matches across all competitions have gone UNDER the total, including five of their last six away from home. Similarly, six of Monterrey’s last seven matches have gone UNDER, three of those being at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer.
My pick...
There’s a high likelihood that everything will be decided in the second leg at the Estadio Azteca. Although Cruz Azul seems to have the edge, you’d imagine both sides will play it conservatively in the first 90 minutes.
As such, a draw is something I can imagine happening, especially considering that four of the last six meetings between these two teams have also ended in draws.
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