Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the semifinals of the Play-In stage of the Mexican Championship will be played on Monday at the "Olímpico Benito Juárez" stadium, where the local Juárez will face Pumas. I suggest betting on goals in this matchup with good winning chances.
Match preview
Juárez continues to leave a mixed impression, reflecting all the challenges of adapting to the elite division of Mexico. In the last five matches, the "Brave" managed to secure only one victory with three draws and one defeat. The latest blow to their ambitions came from Querétaro — a home 0:2 loss, after which the team's atmosphere became even heavier.
The attack is stalling: only three goals in the last four matches, while the defense leaked again — five conceded. Such statistics make Juárez an easy target for opponents ready to exploit every mistake. Nevertheless, the team managed to cling to the Play-In – Juárez finished 9th in the standings, gaining 24 points in 17 matches.
On the other hand, Pumas are also going through tough times and are clearly far from their best form. In the last five matches across all competitions, the "Pumas" managed to scrape only one victory with two draws and two defeats. In the last round of the Mexican Championship, the team played an away match against Tigres and lost 1:2. As a result, Pumas finished 10th with 21 points.
Overall, in the last five rounds, the defense has seriously cracked — six goals conceded against four scored. Under Efraín Juárez Valdés, the team focuses on an attacking style: high pressing, ball control. But in practice, this often turns into a loss of tempo and missed chances at crucial moments.
Probable lineups
- Juárez: Jurado, Orkin, Manríquez, Zaldívar, García, Del Campo, Castillo, Madson, Torres, Puma, Estupiñán
- Pumas: Padilla, Benevendo, Silva, Magallán, Duarte, Barrera, Trigos, Córdoba, Alcázar, Ergas, Ayala
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the last five matches, Pumas defeated the opponent three times with one loss
- The "Over 2.5 goals" bet hit in three out of five matches
- The "Both teams to score" bet hit in three out of five matches
Prediction
Bookmakers rate the chances in this match with roughly equal odds. We believe that in such a matchup, it's better to bet on goals – "Under 2.5 goals" with odds of 1.75.
