With a Liguilla spot on the line, the Mexican Primera matchup between Cruz Azul and Chivas Guadalajara is a massive one this Saturday night. Both teams are on the very fringes of Liguilla, and a loss would be seriously crippling for either team. One might think that sets up for a gentleman's draw, but with all of Monterrey, Santos, and the entirety of Group 2 lingering closely behind, neither team can afford to drop points.
Chivas will be without defender Jonny Magallon, while captain and midfield general Gerardo Torrado is questionable for Cruz Azul. Without him in the lineup, the Blue Machine were terrible last week. If Cruz Azul are going to make Liguilla, both Gonzalo Pineda and Marcelo Palau need to step up considerably. Left winger Hugo Drougett is also questionable. For Chivas, the key man is almost unquestionably Erick "Cubo" Torres, their superstar teenage striker.
Chivas haven't played well against Cruz Azul in recent tournaments, but as Tom Marshall from SB Nation's Mexican football blog FMF State of Mind points out, the conditions seem ripe for a change in fortunes.
Chivas Guadalajara haven't won against Cruz Azul in six games and the "Celestes" (Cruz Azul) home form has been the main why they are still in play-off contention. The Mexico City team go into the game as slight favorites.
As a caveat though, Cruz Azul have been inconsistent all season. Their last two results tell the wider story of their season. On April 13, Cruz Azul thrashed champions Monterrey 3-0 at home but three days later lost on the road 2-0 to lowly Puebla.
We'll have to see tonight. The game kicks off at 6 pm ET, 5 pm local time.
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