The semifinals of the Liga MX are underway, and we’re in for a great show as América and Cruz Azul face off in the Clásico Joven.
Las Águilas delivered a surprise in the quarterfinals, eliminating Toluca with 2-0 victories in both legs.
La Maquina also had a dramatic journey, shocked by Tijuana with a 3-0 loss in the first leg, but managed to turn it around by winning by the same score and advancing thanks to the away-goals rule.
América vs. Cruz Azul betting odds and info
| América 2.45 | Cruz Azul 2.8 | Draw Offs: 3.2 |
| When? | Thursday, December 5 at 9:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm CST, 7:00 pm MT, and 6:00 pm PT |
| Where? | Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes |
| Where can I watch it? | ViX, TUDN, Azteca 7, and Univision |
Why bet on América?
The América of the regular season is not the same as we see in the playoffs. The Águilas fought hard to qualify, having to go through the play-in, where they drew 2-2 with Tijuana and advanced via penalties. However, in the quarterfinals against Toluca, they showed their claws.
In the first leg, they won 2-0 with a brace from Rodrigo Aguirre, and in the second leg, at the Diablos Rojos home, they claimed another 2-0 victory thanks to an own goal by Marcel Ruíz and a goal from their top scorer, Henry Martin. It’s worth noting that Toluca finished second in the tournament and had the league’s top scorer, Paulinho, with 13 goals.
América has had a strong finish to the tournament, suffering just one loss in their last ten matches, and that was a 4-0 defeat against Toluca in the final round of the regular season.
For the second time in the tournament, they managed to keep a clean sheet in two consecutive matches, and they did so against a team that had only failed to score twice all season.
Why bet on Cruz Azul?
Cruz Azul was caught off guard by Tijuana but managed to rely on its individual talents to secure a 3-0 win and advance thanks to having finished first in the regular season.
The Máquina was stunned in the first leg, losing 3-0, and in the second leg, things seemed to be going against them as they struggled to open the scoring. Finally, in the 44th minute, José Rivero stepped up to get the team back into the match.
In the second half, Greek striker Giorgos Giakoumakis made it 2-0, and top scorer Ángel Sepúlveda added the decisive 3-0 goal that secured the Cementeros passage to the next round. Credit also goes to goalkeeper Kevin Mier, whose crucial saves made the comeback possible.
Cruz Azul was the highest-scoring team in the Liga MX with 39 and had the best defense, conceding only 12 goals while also setting a points record with 42. Sepúlveda leads the team with ten goals, while Carlos Rotondi and Giakoumakis are close behind with seven each.
Final Betting Analysis: América vs. Cruz Azul
The last time these two teams met was on August 31 this year, and Cruz Azul won 4-1 with goals from Giakoumakis, Sepúlveda, Alexis Gutiérrez, and Lorenzo Faravelli, while in last semester’s finals, they were 1-1 in the first leg and 1-0 in the second.
The numbers at Gambyl Exchange have América as the favorite. The Moneyline shows 2.45, Cruz Azul has 2.8, and the draw is at 3.2.
It will be a great Clásico Joven and could be a rematch for Cruz Azul after losing the final to América last semester. The Máquina was the best team in the regular phase, although it showed some weaknesses in the quarterfinals, while the Águilas grew in these instances, so we believe it will be a 2-2 draw.
Go for a draw. If you bet $100 at 3.2, you will gain $220 for a total payout of $320.
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