This Saturday marks the start of the Apertura 2024 in Liga MX, and the current runner-up, Cruz Azul, wants to show they are ready to take the crown. To do so, they will face a Mazatlán team that does not promise much.
La Maquina has been reinforced in a big way to strengthen its lines and look for the title that escaped them last tournament.
On the other hand, nothing positive has happened for the Cañoneros, and results are not expected to improve for this championship.
When and Where?
Saturday, July 6, 11:00 pm ET at the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes
Moneyline odds:
Cruz Azul 1.40
Mazatlán 6.50
Draw Offs:
5.0
Where can I watch it?
fuboTV, Telemundo, and Peacock
Why Bet on Cruz Azul?
Watch out for Cruz Azul in this tournament. Last season, they surprised and reached the final, losing 2-1 to América. But that is not enough, and in the Apertura MX 2024, they will go for the title, and for that, they have been reinforced in a great way.
The first to be mentioned is striker Giorgos Giakoumakis. The 29-year-old Greek, a regular for his national team, comes from Atlanta United, where in a season and a half he scored 24 goals in 41 games, a great average. However, the European was injured in the last friendly match on June 29 and has 10 days of incapacity, so he would not be available.
The brand new reinforcement is defender Jorge Sanchez, who comes from Ajax, although he played for Porto last season. The right-back was a starter for the Mexican national team in all three matches, playing all 90 minutes. He has already joined the training sessions of the Máquina Cementera and is expected to play on the weekend.
Finally, we must also talk about midfielder Andrés Montaño, who had a good season in Mazatlán and is still young enough to continue improving. In addition, they managed to keep all their players, making them stronger than last season and, therefore, a serious candidate for the title.
But if that wasn’t enough, Cruz Azul fans are excited about the possible return of Luis Romo. The midfielder of the Mexican National Team, currently at Monterrey, would be very close to becoming a new player of the Máquina. So, if they are already a team to be feared, with Romo we would be talking about possibly the main candidate for the title.
Why Bet on Mazatlán?
One of the teams with little promise in this tournament is Mazatlán. The Cañoneros was 14th in the Clausura 2024 with only 14 points out of 51 available, winning only four games, scoring 21 goals, and conceding 32.
Knowing this, the board of directors decided to reinforce the team with players who were substitutes on their teams, such as Mauro Laínez (Querétaro) and Eduardo Torres (Chivas). As if that were not enough, several players had their loans run out and returned to their clubs, while Andrés Montaño, one of the team’s best players last season, was sold.
It is a dark outlook for new coach Victor Vucetich, who last coached Monterrey more than a year ago. But this is not the end of Mazatlán’s woes, as Eduard Bello (Venezuela) and Yoel Bárcenas (Panama) are with their national teams in the Copa América and will not be in the team’s debut.
Last but not least, Colombian Nicolás Benedetti is still injured for a long time, so he will not be able to be used in the next games.
It all looks very bad.
Final Betting Analysis: Cruz Azul vs. Mazatlán
The last time they met was on January 27 this year, in the same stadium, and Cruz Azul won 2-1 with goals from Gabriel Fernández and Ángel Sepúlveda, while Gustavo del Prete scored for Mazatlán.
The numbers at Gambyl Exchange have Cruz Azul as the favorite. Their Moneyline shows 1.42, Mazatlán has 6.50, and the draw is at 4.75.
The Mexican championship begins, with everyone starting with 0 points and equal opportunities for all. However, if you compare the teams, Cruz Azul is vastly superior and should have no problems winning against Mazatlán. We’ll go for a 2-1.
Go for a win for Cruz Azul. If you bet $100 at 1.42, you will gain $42 for a total payout of $142.
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