Necaxa
- Necaxa are unbeaten in their last five competitive games (Liga MX), winning three and drawing two.
- Martín Varini’s side showed plenty of attacking intent in their 3-1 away win at Santos Laguna in their Clausura 2026 opener and the 4-1 home win over Santos from the end of the Apertura campaign suggests they are not about to change their ways.
- Varini, a 34-year-old Uruguayan, has instilled a dynamic, proactive style of play on his team in the few months he has been in charge, pressing high, playing in short, sharp passing patterns and creating overloads in midfield and wide areas with the ball.
- Diber Cambindo, their striker, has been their main goal threat in the opening Liga MX fixtures of 2025-26 and will lead the line again on Saturday.
Atlas
- Atlas have been inconsistent recently, winning two, drawing one and losing two of their last five Liga MX games.
- Agustín Palavecino is the orchestrator in midfield, providing goals and assists as well as a threat from set pieces, while Tomás Badaloni gives depth and an aerial threat in the rotation.
- They should all get a thorough test against an Atlas side that Cocca has made much more solid at the back and much more disciplined in their build-up play.
- It is back to the basics of compactness and a team shape designed to be tough to break down and create opportunities off the counter-attack or set piece.
- Uroš Djurdjević will be the focal point again after his penalty-kick winner against Puebla opened the season, while Gustavo Ferrareis brings creativity and width.
Head-to-Head
- The teams are virtually even on head-to-heads and they have split their last five meetings, with two wins apiece and a draw.
- Three of their last five encounters have featured four or more goals.
Key Players
- Agustín Palavecino is the orchestrator in midfield, providing goals and assists as well as a threat from set pieces, while Tomás Badaloni gives depth and an aerial threat in the rotation.
- Uroš Djurdjević will be the focal point again after his penalty-kick winner against Puebla opened the season, while Gustavo Ferrareis brings creativity and width.
Betting Insights
- Necaxa are the clear favorites to win this game at 1.6 with Atlas the outsiders at 5.0 and the draw at 4.1, which seems a little high.
- Over 2.5 goals is priced at 1.55, which is fair enough, although it looks like a game for both teams to score bettors given Necaxa’s recent matches have all seen both sides score.
Prediction
- Atlas did not show much away from home at the end of last season, losing at Chivas 4-1 and 2-0 at Tijuana, so Necaxa, who are in good form, have the quality and momentum to beat them in a high-scoring game.
- Necaxa’s style of soccer is all about playing fast and aggressive, so they will like their chances against an Atlas side that is still a work in progress.
