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Puebla will welcome league leaders Cruz Azul to Estadio Cuauhtémoc in the Liga MX Apertura on Friday. The hosts have three wins in 12 league games and are in 12th place in the league table. Azul are at the top of the table with 28 points from 11 games, four more than second-placed Tigres UANL.
La Franja have seen a drop in form recently, suffering four consecutive defeats. They failed to score for just the second time this season in their 1-0 away loss to Tigres UANL before the international break.
La Máquina made it three wins on the trot last time around with a 3-0 home win over Necaxa earlier this month. Alexis Gutiérrez and Carlos Rotondi scored in the first half while Lorenzo Faravelli added the third goal after the break.
Puebla vs Cruz Azul Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have crossed paths 55 times in all competitions. The visitors have the upper hand in these meetings with 24 wins. La Franja have 14 wins and 17 games have ended in draws.
- They last met in the Clausura in April, which the visitors won 1-0. La Franja failed to score for the first time since 2018 in this fixture in that loss.
- Four of the last five meetings between the two teams have produced over 2.5 goals, with both teams scoring eight goals.
- Puebla have lost four of their last five home games in Liga MX. They have conceded 11 goals in these games while scoring eight times.
- Cruz Azul have the best goalscoring record in Liga MX this term, scoring 26 goals. 13 of these goals have been scored in five away games.
- The league leaders are unbeaten in their last seven away meetings against the hosts, with four games ending in draws.
Puebla vs Cruz Azul Prediction
La Franja have suffered four consecutive losses, conceding eight goals, and will look to improve upon that record. They have conceded at least two goals in five of their last six home games in the league. They are winless at home in this fixture since 2017.
La Máquina made it three wins on the spin earlier this month, keeping their sixth clean sheet of the campaign, and will look to continue that form here. They have scored at least one goal in each of their 11 league games this season, and are expected to continue their form here.
Martín Anselmi has a few doubts for the match as Carlos Rodríguez, Luis Romo, Jorge Sánchez, Erik Lira, Kevin Mier, and Willer Ditta were on international duty. Ignacio Rivero is back from an injury and should start here.
Considering the current form of the two teams and the visitors' goalscoring record, the league leaders are expected to record a comfortable win.
Prediction: Puebla 1-3 Cruz Azul
Puebla vs Cruz Azul Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Cruz Azul to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least one goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Carlos Rotondi to score or assist any time - Yes
