- Pumas have won four of their last five head-to-head meetings against Mazatlán, drawing the other, with a 4-0 and 4-1 scoreline in two of those matches.
- Pumas boast a strong home record in the current Clausura, with recent wins at Estadio Olímpico Universitario and just one loss in their last 13 league matches, while Mazatlán have lost eight of 13 and sit in the bottom third of the table.
- Pumas have only lost one of their last five, including a pair of gutsy 1-0 wins over Necaxa and América, and draws against Cruz Azul and Chivas.
Pumas play the good game
Pumas UNAM are inside the top six in the Clausura with 24 points from 13 games, still looking to lock down a high seed in the upcoming playoffs, while they will be full of momentum heading into this match.
Efraín Juárez has instilled an aggressive, high-energy style that makes this a fun team to watch with their youthful, expressive attacking play and tactical flexibility. Pumas can play with width, drive, tempo, and rhythm. They can be relentless when they want to be, as they like to attack in numbers and can be devastating when they get on a run or a few players find some space to play.
Keylor Navas is the keeper, making big saves and keeping plenty of clean sheets, while Robert Morales is the reliable finisher up front. He links up nicely with Juninho, who has scored five himself.
Pumas have lost just one of their last 13 league matches and have a very good record at Estadio Olímpico Universitario this season.
Mazatlán must make a stand
Mazatlán FC sit in the bottom third with 11 points from 13 matches, losing eight, and are desperately in need of points to climb out of the relegation zone. Sergio Bueno’s side play a defensive, compact game with a deep block and conservative pressing line in an attempt to frustrate their opponents and catch them on the counter-attack.
They have been erratic of late, though, and while the 4-2 win over León was a high point, a 2-1 defeat to Necaxa was a low point. Facundo Almada provides plenty of danger from set pieces and contributes goals and assists from defense, while Javon Ovalle has four league goals this term.
Édgar Bárcenas and Mauro Lainez will provide the spark for the visitors, but Bárcenas is usually the only player in the side who can be trusted to receive the ball and put together some of their best attacking moves.
Pumas have a strong history against Mazatlán
Pumas are overwhelming favourites to win this game at 1.47, with the visitors 6.75 long shots and the draw at 4.55. There’s a lot of faith in this Pumas side and they’ve won four of the last five meetings, which is why I am on their bandwagon for the home win. I think they’ll win by 2-0 or 2-1, so I am avoiding the Over 2.5 goals market at 1.55 and going with both teams not to score at 2.05.
Weather forecasts suggest rain could make the playing surface heavy on matchday in Mexico City, which may suit the more adaptable side who are the physically tougher unit. The clash of Pumas’ attacking, aggressive style of play against Mazatlán’s deep, stubborn, compact block should be a chess match. Pumas have the tools to break through the deep block, while Mazatlán are hoping they can hang in there long enough for a set-piece or counterattacking opportunity.
Pumas will win, so I’m taking that as my main wager, while BTTS-No looks good to me, because Pumas have been strong defensively lately. There have been no major injury concerns on either side ahead of this clash, so both sides should be at close to full strength. The home side will have a lot of energy and enthusiasm to start this game, but Mazatlán will be desperate, especially as the franchise is up for sale and could be relocated by the time the next season kicks off.
