Cruz Azul vs Monterrey Odds & Prediction – Liga MX Apertura Round 5

• It is Cruz Azul vs Monterrey on Matchday 5 of Liga MX Apertura on Wednesday, August 18, at 8:00 pm EST
• The winners of the Guardianes 2021, Cruz, have made a slow start to the second half of the domestic campaign
• We preview the game, look at the odds, and offer a best bet below

Cruz Azul vs Monterrey kick-off on Matchday 5 of Liga MX Apertura on Wednesday, August 18, at 8:00 pm EST. The game takes place in Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca – a stadium the home side shares with América.

We list the odds, preview Cruz Azul vs Monterrey, and offer below the best bet for this Liga MX Apertura clash.

Cruz Azul vs Monterrey Odds

Odds as of August 18 at DraftKings

Slow Start for Reigning Champions

Cruz Azul comes into this one off the back of a thumping 4-0 win over Toluca at the weekend, a win that took them up to seventh place in the table. After a mixed start to the season – a win, a loss, and a draw – La Maquina finally found some impressive form against the previously unbeaten Toluca. Goals from Bryan Angulo and Santiago Giménez gave them a 2-0 lead within the opening five minutes, Angulo adding another before the break before Orbelin Pineda made it four 19 minutes before the end.

Estamos listos para mañana. 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/IVOvrTi0Rp

— CRUZ AZUL (@CruzAzul) August 17, 2021

Unbeaten Monterrey also had a good weekend, beating Pachuca 3-1 and going up to second place in the table in the process. A goal in each half from Rogelio Funes and another from Max Meza were more than enough to see off their opponents who, as a result, dropped to 13th. Monterrey’s win took them up to fourth place, having collected eight points from their four games, and they begin the day one point and four places ahead of Cruz.

Monterrey Win the Champions League Clash

In terms of head-to-heads between these two, they have played 48 times and Cruz Azul leads the way with 20 wins compared to Monterrey’s 12, while 16 games have been drawn. Of more relevance is their most recent meeting, which was last week in the semifinal first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League – a game that was won 1-0 by Monterrey with a ninth-minute goal from Max Meza.

✈️| Nos vamos a CDMX 🔜 Jornada 5️⃣⚽️#ArribaElMonterrey 🇫🇮 pic.twitter.com/DM3jFDdvvf

— Rayados (@Rayados) August 17, 2021

Last week’s defeat for Cruz Azul in Monterrey was their second defeat in five but followed on from an impressive run of just one defeat in ten.  Monterrey, meanwhile, is on an excellent nine-game unbeaten run, which includes five wins and four draws.

Cruz Azul vs Monterrey Head-to-Head Stats

Injuries for Both Coaches to Contend With

In terms of team news, Cruz Azul will be without their first and second choice goalkeepers, Jesus Corona – who has a fractured toe – and Jose de Jesus Corona (broken finger), while full-back Aldrian Aldrete needs to pass a late fitness test before he can be included in Juan Reynoso’s starting XI. The Cruz boss will however look to get as close as he can to the starting line-up from Sunday’s win over Toluca.

Los goles y los festejos, declaraciones post y previo al encuentro, la charla en el vestidor y mucho más.

No se vayan a perder El Color es AZUL esta noche.

📽 https://t.co/GK6LnGOTCG
⏰ 21:00. pic.twitter.com/ItYJMM9LND

— CRUZ AZUL (@CruzAzul) August 17, 2021

For Monterrey, center-back Hector Moreno (knee injury) and midfielder Erick Aguirre (muscle injury) will both miss out, while former Tottenham Hotspur striker Vincent Janssen also misses out through suspension after picking up a needless red card in injury-time at the weekend in the win over Pachuca. Coach Javier Aguirre, like his Cruz counterpart, will be keen for as much continuity in his starting XI as possible given the fine run of form that his team is currently on.

🏃🏼‍♂️| ¡Domingo laboral! Nos preparamos para nuestro siguiente compromiso. 🔜 𝖩𝗈𝗋𝗇𝖺𝖽𝖺 𝟢𝟧 #EntrenamientoRayado #ArribaElMonterrey 🇫🇮 pic.twitter.com/hK7b7Dv3ai

— Rayados (@Rayados) August 15, 2021

Two wins in their last five reflect how Cruz Azul has wobbled in recent weeks and, despite their good win at the weekend, Reynoso’s men are yet to hit anything like their top form. They have some way to go if they are to replicate their winning of the Guardianes 2021 – the first part of the Mexican domestic season.

Cruz Azul vs Monterrey Best Bet

Monterrey finished fourth in the Guardianes 2021 – 13 points adrift of Cruz – but had a defensive record that was the second-best in the league. If they can replicate that in the Apertura they have a good chance of top two or even winning the title. What they also need to do is to start picking up big results on the road, starting here in Mexico City.

So, while these two teams are quite evenly matched and both come into this off the back of a win, there is still a sense that the need for a win is greater for Cruz. They may edge it by the odd goal, especially if they score early, but Monterrey’s long unbeaten run tells the story of a team that is hard to beat. For me, the value here is with the draw.

Pick: Cruz Azul and Monterrey to draw (+220)