Guatemala vs Mexico Odds & Prediction – Gold Cup Group A Matchday 2

• Tournament favorite and defending champion Mexico still awaits its first goal in the 2021 Gold Cup following a goalless draw with Trinidad & Tobago
• After replacing Curacao at the 11th hour, Guatemala will play its second game of the tournament following on from losing their opener 2-0 against El Salvador
• Read on for a match preview, full odds and a best bet for Wednesday evening’s game

The clear favorites to win a second consecutive Gold Cup crown, Mexico was handed something of a rude awakening in its opening match against Trinidad & Tobago. Not only did El Tri fail to score against a team ranked 92 places below them in the FIFA world rankings, but they also lost Hirving Lozano – arguably their most valuable player – to a tournament-ending injury.

Now Mexico looks to make a statement in its second outing and will look to score at least one goal, to show possible pretenders to its crown that it is still a force to be reckoned with. It takes on Guatemala on Wednesday, July 14, at 9:30 pm ET, and will aiming for a victory to keep pace with El Salvador at the top of Group A.

Guatemala vs Mexico Odds

Odds as of July 13 at DraftKings

Will Real Mexico Show Up?

Before the tournament started, many observers pointed to the full-strength roster that Gerardo Martino called up for this event, while other contenders – such as the United States – chose to rest many of their regulars, mindful of the important World Cup qualifiers coming up.

Yet, despite owning 83% of possession and outshooting the Soca Warriors by a 30-4 margin, Mexico could find no way through to score in its opening game.

AT&T Stadium has been an unlucky place for Mexico 😬

With Chucky Lozano's injury over the weekend, the Mexican National Team has now suffered 3 major injuries when playing at the stadium in the last decade 🏟 pic.twitter.com/9QTMKRlYkH

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 13, 2021

The facial injury to Lozano meant an early opportunity for Efrain Alvarez to take the field, with the Los Angeles Galaxy youngster earning his second cap for Mexico, and now likely set for a much bigger role with the team for the remainder of the Gold Cup.

Así quedó la tabla de posiciones del Grupo A de la #CopaOro21 🏆 #EstoEsNuestro

Here are the standings of the Group A of the #GoldCup21 🏆 #ThisIsOurs pic.twitter.com/wJwSsMkJXl

— Gold Cup (@GoldCup) July 12, 2021

And given that Mexico scored seven goals in its two previous outings before the start of the Gold Cup – against Panama and Nigeria – it’s surely only a matter of time before it finds the net again here.

El Tri’s Dominant Defense

While the offense has yet to click into high gear, the same cannot be said for El Tri’s rearguard action.

Para los fanáticos de los números… 📊✍

Las estadísticas del partido llegan a ti gracias a @Valvoline 👏#CopaOro21 🏆 #EstoEsNuestro pic.twitter.com/Tt7RUzApAU

— Gold Cup (@GoldCup) July 11, 2021

Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Trinidad was Mexico’s fourth consecutive clean sheet, and sixth in its past nine games in 2021. In addition, El Tri hasn’t allowed a shot on their goal in the past three games, meaning that Guatemala will have its work cut out to even test Alfredo Talavera, let alone get a ball past him.

Rivalry? What rivalry?

It has been exactly 52 years since Guatemala beat Mexico in a competitive game, dating back to the 1969 CONCACAF Championship. Since then, Los Chapines have beaten their rival to the north just twice more, with the last time occurring in a 3-2 friendly win in 2007.

Mexico is comfortably on top in the all-time head-to-head series, winning 22, drawing 13 and losing just six of their matches.

Guatemala vs Mexico Key Stats

Guatemala Out to Prove It Belongs

Rafael Loredo’s team didn’t officially make it to the Gold Cup, losing to Guadeloupe in a penalty shootout in the qualifying tournament. However, when Curacao pulled out because of a COVID-19 outbreak, Guatemala got a second lease of Gold Cup life, whether it was ready for it or not.

It certainly looked as though Loredo’s team wasn’t ready for its tournament to begin on Sunday, as El Salvador overwhelmed its opponent, dominating possession 69-31 and owning a 21-4 edge in total shots. Bearing that in mind, the 2-0 final score was anything but unexpected.

However, Guatemala is one of the more inexperienced teams in the competition, boasting just one player with more than 30 caps, and with eight of the players in single digits in that category.

Best Bet: Mexico -3.5 (+130)