Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-final is set for Friday at the iconic Olympic Stadium in Mexico City. The first clash between Cruz Azul and Tigres ended in a 1-1 draw, leaving everything to be decided in this upcoming showdown for a ticket to the final.
Match preview
The foundation of Cruz Azul’s surge in this year’s Champions Cup has been their rock-solid home form. The Azules have ruthlessly capitalized on home advantage: three wins in three matches, an impressive 11 goals scored and only two conceded—numbers that speak for themselves.
In the previous round, it was their 2-1 home victory that saw them past Club América. Cruz Azul are also on a formidable domestic run: they remain unbeaten in eight straight Liga MX matches at the Olympic Stadium. Overall, they have eight wins in their last nine home games. Currently, Cruz Azul sit third in the league, trailing leaders Toluca by four points.
As for Tigres, last week’s draw extended their unbeaten streak to seven games. Over that stretch, the Monterrey side have notched three wins and four draws. The team is also gaining momentum on the continental stage—like Cruz Azul, Tigres have taken maximum points from their last three home matches in the Champions Cup.
But away games have been a much tougher challenge for Tigres. They’ve picked up just one win from their last ten away fixtures, suffering four defeats. In the previous round, Tigres edged out Los Angeles over two legs—drawing 0-0 away before a 3-2 home victory. In the league, they’re breathing down Cruz Azul’s neck, level on points after 17 rounds.
Probable lineups
- Cruz Azul: Mayers, Ditta, Lira, Orozco, Sánchez, Sepúlveda, Rivero, Rotondi, Fernández, Gutiérrez, Rodríguez
- Tigres: Guzmán, Joaquim, Rômulo, Sánchez, Laínez, Aquino, Angulo, Brunetta, Antuna, Ibañez, Gorriarán
Match facts and head-to-head
- None of the last five meetings between these teams have seen more than two goals scored
- The "Both teams to score" bet has landed in two of the last five encounters
- Last year, Cruz Azul defeated Tigres 1-0 at home
Prediction
Both sides are in excellent form, making it tough to pick a winner. The most reasonable bet here looks to be "Both teams to score" at odds of 1.89.
