Edgar Pardo Toluca vs Club América Betting Odds Preview Liga MX soccer Mexico

Toluca out to prove it is still in Liguilla race vs América

Club América will look to officially book their place in the 2019 Liga MX Clausura Liguilla when they visit Toluca at the Estadio Nemesio Diez on Sunday.

The reigning Liga MX champs are currently just a win away from virtually sealing their place in the Liguilla after drawing with rival Cruz Azul their last week out. Miguel Herrera’s men remain one of the favorites to lift the title at the end of the season and arrive to this game on the back of just one defeat in their last five Liga MX games.

Las Águilas’ short trip outside of Mexico City takes them to Toluca, where the Diablos Rojos have improved since the arrival of new coach Ricardo Antonio La Volpe. At the moment, Toluca is 10th in the league standings with 18 points, but still four points shy of eighth-place Tijuana.

SHARK BITES
  • Six of the last seven head-to-head meetings between these teams have finished in the OVER.
  • Toluca has won three straight home matches in Liga MX.
  • Club América has lost just once in its last eight matches across all competitions.

Toluca vs Club América Game Center

Club Américas defense is clicking

With three games remaining in the regular season, the pressure is on Club América to get things going ahead of the Liguilla. While it’s not a foregone conclusion, at this point of the campaign it would take a massive collapse on the part of Las Águilas to not make the Liguilla.

Though América is winless in the last two, it has been one of the more steady sides in the competition, especially on the defensive side of things. Across their last five Liga MX matches, Agustin Marchesin and company have kept a clean sheet in four.

However, good defense is far from a guarantee for Las Águilas away from home. In fact, they have conceded two or more goals in three of their last five league matches outside of the Estadio Azteca, including defeats to Monterrey and Xolos de Tijuana.

Dont count out the Diablos Rojos

What makes this an intriguing matchup is that the Diablos Rojos aren’t completely out of it. Since the departure of Hernan Cristante as manager of the team, Toluca has lost just once in Liga MX, earning 11 out of 18 points possible. As a result, the Diablos Rojos have a slight chance of still making the Liguilla, and a win here would definitely boost their chances, with two relatively easy games against Pumas UNAM and Lobos BUAP to end the regular season.

If Club América’s strength recently has been its defense, for Toluca it has been offense. Although their last game ended in a scoreless draw vs Querétaro, Toluca has scored two goals or more in four of their last six matches. This includes a 5-1 thrashing of Monterrey in Week 13.

History in blue and yellow

This will be the first time that Club América and Toluca face off since clashing in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Liga MX Apertura. Las Águilas went on to win that series with an aggregate scoreline of 5-4 in a pair of games that proved to be more tricky than expected for América.

Las Águilas, though, have fared much better in their recent head-to-head meetings vs Toluca. América has lost just once in its last five Liga MX matches vs the Diablos Rojos. They’ve also done an exceptional job playing in Toluca’s home ground, losing just twice in their last seven visits to Toluca.

My take on the game...

Despite improving since the arrival of Ricardo Antonio La Volpe, I think this is the game where Club América gets through Toluca and finally clinches its place in the Liguilla. Las Águilas are under pressure to get all three points, and in a stadium where they traditionally play well, I’m going with an América win.

Six of the last seven head-to-head meetings between these teams have finished in the OVER. Toluca has won three straight home matches in Liga MX.home Club América has lost just once in its last eight matches across all competitions.
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