Santos Laguna
- Santos Laguna have failed to win any of their last five Clausura matches, with four straight losses and a draw.
- The home team are rooted to the bottom of the Clausura standings with just 1 - 2 points and an atrocious -14 goal difference.
- They have failed to win any of their last five matches, conceding 15 goals in total during that run.
- They do have goals in other departments and Lucas Di Yorio has been their biggest threat with three league goals, and he is capable of being the catalyst for a win.
- Ramiro Sordo has been his main provider this season and they have found a decent understanding.
- Ramiro Sordo is an injury concern for this clash.
- Omar Tapia has stepped up from Santos’ academy ranks to the interim head coach’s job and will want to bring the intensity and energy of youth back to a team that have lost their way in the Clausura.
- The defender-turned-head coach will be looking for a big performance from his team, who are priced at 5.6 to win this match.
Cruz Azul
- Cruz Azul are undefeated in their last five league matches (W4, D1) and currently sit second in the table on 16 points, well ahead of Santos.
- Nicolás Larcamón’s team plays a compact, pressing system that is very well suited to this fixture with their ability to sit in front of the defense and transition quickly on the turnovers.
- This side also has a great deal of creativity in their midfield core and can control the tempo of the game.
- The 2-1 victory over Guadalajara saw Gabriel Fernández return to his best and he is a top contender for an anytime goal in this matchup.
- José Paradela has provided assists in recent matches for Cruz Azul and is their engine room maestro.
- Agustín Palavecino can light up the game for the visitors with a piece of skill or a cut-back to an onrushing attacker.
Head-to-Head
- Cruz Azul have defeated Santos Laguna in their last three meetings.
- The visitors have a narrow advantage in the head-to-head record between the clubs with 23 wins to Santos’ 20 from 50+ official meetings.
Key Players
- Lucas Di Yorio has been Santos’ biggest threat with three league goals.
- Ramiro Sordo has been his main provider this season and they have found a decent understanding.
- Ramiro Sordo remains an injury concern for the match.
- Gabriel Fernández returned to his best in the 2-1 victory over Guadalajara and is a top contender for an anytime goal.
- Gabriel Fernández is among Cruz Azul's top scorers and is the team’s most dangerous link-up player.
- José Paradela has provided assists in recent matches for Cruz Azul and is their engine room maestro.
- Agustín Palavecino provided two assists in the 2-1 win over Guadalajara last weekend and is worth a small play for an assist on Wednesday.
- Carlos Acevedo is one of the few true leaders in this Santos Laguna team.
Betting Insights
- Cruz Azul are heavy favorites at 1.51 for this game.
- The draw is priced at 4.33, which looks generous given the form gap.
- Santos Laguna are priced at 5.6 to win this match.
- There is value in the over 2.5 goals market at 1.57 as these teams have recently tended to play open, high-scoring games.
Prediction
- Cruz Azul are heavy favorites at 1.51 for this game and although Santos Laguna can be an extremely dangerous team when at their best, their recent form indicates they are not at their peak right now.
- It seems more likely that Cruz Azul’s current momentum will see them through to another victory.
