Match Day 2 of the 2024 Liga MX season will see Monterrey hosting Cruz Azul at Estadio BBVA on Sunday, with the hosts looking to end a home losing streak against the visitors.
Both teams secured victories in their opening matches and will be looking to maintain a perfect record after two games.
Match preview
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Monterrey started their campaign for a first Apertura title since 2019 with a narrow 1-0 victory over Pachuca at the Estadio Hidalgo on Monday, thanks to Sergio Canales's 14th-minute goal.
Having reached the playoffs and quarter-finals in the last four Apertura and Clausura tournaments, Los Rayados will be determined to go all the way for the title this time around.
However, Fernando Ortiz's side will need to address their home form if they want to make it two wins in two, as they have not won any of their last four matches on home soil across all competitions.
Sunday's encounter sees them face a familiar foe in Cruz Azul, with sides having met 60 times previously in all competitions. However, it was only their May victory that ended Monterrey's three-match losing streak against their visitors.
Recent home form against the visitors have not been favourable for Monterrey either, having lost the last two encounters at Estadio BBVA.
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Cruz Azul also began their league campaign with a winning start, securing a 1-0 victory over Mazatlan at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes on Saturday thanks to a late 95th-minute goal from Bryan Javier Gamboa Galarza.
The match was a close contest, with Camilo Candido receiving a red card for Los Celestes in just the 75th minute, but that did not stop them from securing three points.
This win was crucial for Martin Anselmi's men who had struggled recently, failing to win any of their previous three competitive fixtures and four out of their last six across all competitions (although winning the last two).
Cruz Azul will be hoping to extend their current three-match winning streak when they travel to Nuevo Leon on Sunday and their recent away form is encouraging, having won five of their last seven away matches, with only one loss and one draw in that period.
However, they did lose their most recent away fixture against Club America in the Clausura playoffs and this puts them at risk of losing consecutive away matches for the first time since March, when they lost to both Club America and Santos Laguna back-to-back.
Team News
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Monterrey will be unable to call on the services of midfielder Oliver Torres, who is recovering from a shoulder injury and not expected back until August.
German Berterame and Roberto de la Rosa are expected to start as the front two once again, while former Real Madrid man Canales will hope to score in successive matches as he starts from midfield.
Cruz Azul will have to deal with the absence of defender Candido who was sent off in the win over Pachuca.
Mexican left-back Carlos Alonso Vargas is also sidelined with a broken foot and his recovery date is not clear at this time.
Monterrey possible starting lineup:
Andrada; Tagle, Vegas, Medina, Aguirre; Corona, Rodriguez, Canales, Meza; Berterame, De la Rosa
Cruz Azul possible starting lineup:
Mier; Rotondi, Piovi, Lira, Ditta, Huescas; Gutierrez, Rivero, Rodriguez, Antuna; Sepulveda
We say: Monterrey 2-1 Cruz Azul
Monterrey ended their losing streak against Cruz Azul in May and have maintained consistency since for the last couple of seasons.
Although they have lost their last two home games to Cruz Azul, Monterrey currently seem to be playing at a higher level than their visitors.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
