Monterrey vs Club America Liga MX Apertura Finals Leg 1 Odds & Pick
- Monterrey return from Club World Cup exploits for domestic battle
- Both teams pulled off shock wins in opening games of knockout stage
- America hold the title but opponents have not won since 2010
The focus of Mexican football returns to domestic matters when Monterrey and Club America meet in the two-legged final of the 2019 Apertura tournament this week with the opening game on Thursday.
Monterrey are back in their native land after competing in the FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar where they were beaten 2-1 in the semifinal by eventual winners Liverpool.
Liga MX Apertura Final First Leg Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monterrey | pk, -½ -104 | +135 | Ov 2½ -111 |
| Club America | pk, +½ -116 | +205 | Un 2½ -109 |
| Draw | N/A | +210 | N/A |
Odds taken Dec. 23
The two finalists began the Apertura “Linguilla” play-off tournament as outsiders with America seeded at number six and Monterrey seeded eighth after the finish of the regular season.
Now Monterrey are favorites to succeed in the first leg at +135 for the home tie on December 26, at Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Monterrey, 9:36 pm EST.
Leading Seeds Crashed Out
Club America are rated at +205 but the draw at +210 offers the best value as these are two evenly-matched sides in good recent form.
The leading four seeds fell at the first knock-out stage leaving the competition more open than was expected.
Monterrey are the reigning CONCACAF Champions League holders but won the last of their four Apertura titles as long ago as 2010.
They have one of the most expensively assembled squads in the Americas and proved their ability by running English Premier League leaders and European Champions League holders Liverpool very close in the Club World Cup semifinal.
America has home advantage in the second leg and also had a slightly better regular season record than Monterrey both defensively and offensively.
It required a goal in added time at the end of normal time from Roberto Firmino to claim Liverpool’s victory.
#MondayMotivation: Exactly one year ago, with a @EdsonAlvarez19's brace, we got #13 🏆.
🔟 days left to write a new page of our history. pic.twitter.com/lGvm7rU8R5
— Club América EN (@ClubAmerica_EN) December 16, 2019
America has home advantage in the second leg and also had a slightly better regular season record than Monterrey both defensively and offensively.
They won the Apertura in 2014 and last year in 2018.
Mexico’s Liga MX competition is split into two sections which are contested each year – the Clausura which begins in January and the Apertura which starts in July.
The eight highest-placed teams in the table for each competition advance to a knockout tournament with seeded teams meeting over two legs.
Monterrey finished eighth and then caused a major shock when they eliminated first seed Santos Laguna in the opening knockout round.
Monterrey vs Club America Stats
| 12 | Head-to-Head Wins | 19 |
| 19 | Head-to-Head Losses | 12 |
| 16 | Head-to-Head Draws | 16 |
| 36 | Goals (Regular Season and Playoffs) | 39 |
| 27 | Goal Against (Regular Season and Playoffs) | 28 |
| 8th | Regular Season Place | 6th |
They then overcame Necaxa who were originally seeded fifth with a 2-1 home victory followed by a 1-0 away win. With their place in the final secure, they then headed for the Club World Cup in the Middle East.
Two Recoveries in Knockout Stage
America finished sixth and then saw off Tigres UANL at the last eight stage. After losing 2-1 at home in the opening game, they recovered to seal a stunning 4-2 victory away from home in the second leg for a 5-4 aggregate win.
They staged another recovery in the semifinal against Morelia, who began the knockout phase as seventh seeds.
After losing the first leg 2-0 away from home, America won 2-0 in the return fixture.
That secured their place in the final because they had been seeded one place higher than their opponents after the finish of the regular season.
✍ | R⃣ E⃣ S⃣ U⃣ M⃣ E⃣ 🦅
– 🏆🏆🏆 Liga MX
– 🏆 Copa MX
– 🏆 Campeón de Campeones
– 🏆🏆 CONCACAF Champions League©️ is still hungry for victories. pic.twitter.com/bX9M2Z4V6N
— Club América EN (@ClubAmerica_EN) December 13, 2019
However, no number six seed has ever triumphed in a Liga MX final.
Monterrey won eight of their regular season matches while drawing three and losing seven.
When the two finalists met in the opening match of the Apertura, America ran out 4-2 winners.
They finished strongly with a five-match unbeaten run and have continued their powerful form in the knockout section.
However, when the two finalists met in the opening match of the Apertura, America ran out 4-2 winners.
MLS stars to face best of Liga MX in new-look All-Star Game format https://t.co/kR5gigYEXP
— NewsASAP (@NewsASAPng) December 23, 2019
America won eight, drew seven and lost only three of their regular season games.
They also finished the campaign strongly with three wins in the final four games.
The second leg of the Apertura final takes place on Sunday, December 29, at Azteca Stadium, Mexico City, 9:15 pm EST.
Pick: Draw +210
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
