David Flower
Dailysports's expert
Puebla
Necaxa
Betting Bonus up to $/€ 122
One of the matches of the 17th round of the Mexican championship will be played on Saturday at the "Cuauhtémoc" stadium, where the local club Puebla will host Necaxa. I suggest a bet on the outcome of this clash with a good coefficient.
Match preview
Pablo Guede's team is firmly stuck in second-to-last place, with only 9 points under their belt — figures that are hard to justify: just two wins, three draws, and a staggering 11 losses in 16 rounds. Only Santos Laguna has worse results. Moreover, in the last eight matches, the "Franja" managed to earn just one point — seven losses and a dismal goalless draw with "Tigres".
What's more! Not a single goal in the last five rounds - you can't say it more eloquently. A recent defeat to "Guadalajara" (0:1) was a logical continuation of the crisis. At "Cuauhtémoc", Puebla isn't faring any better — in seven home games, only one win, one draw, and five failures. In the absence of Cavallini and a complete lack of creativity up front, it's obvious: the current Puebla simply doesn't measure up to Liga MX standards.
Necaxa, having accumulated 28 points, has already secured a spot in the play-in and is now looking higher — into the top-4, which gives a direct ticket to the quarterfinals. The chances for this remain, but it depends not only on the "Rayos" themselves but also on the slip-ups of competitors. However, the key factor in this equation is a victory over Puebla. In the current Clausura, Nicolás Larcamón's team has managed to delight its fans with productive spells: four wins in February and another three in March.
However, alongside bright successes, there have been failures — a thrashing by "Toluca" (2:5) at the start of spring and a recent fiasco against "Pachuca" (3:5) confirm this. And a draw with "Juárez" (2:2) in the last round left a mixed aftertaste. Nonetheless, the "Electricians" have character, and their attacking style yields results — 35 goals in 16 matches, the second-best in the league after "Pachuca" (39).
Probable lineups
- Puebla: Gonzalez, Ferraris, Mendez, Fedorsso, Zavala, Moano, Diaz, Martiarena, Dutra, Castillo, Marin
- Necaxa: Hernandez, Manzanares, Russo, Dominguez, Moreno, Rodriguez, Escamilla, Lertora, Perez, Hernandez, Cisneros
Match facts and head-to-head
- Last year, Necaxa defeated the opponent twice in the championship – 2:1 and 4:1
- The "both teams to score" bet has hit in the last five matches
- The "total over 2.5" bet has hit in 4 out of 5 encounters
Prediction
Bookmakers favor the visitors, offering odds of 2.07 on a Necaxa victory. We believe the hosts have no chance, and it's worth betting on "Necaxa to win".
Betting Bonus up to $/€ 122
