It’s that time again! Jornada 4 of the Liga MX Apertura 2018 begins tonight, so we make our picks for the weekend!
Garett went 4-5 again last week, bringing his picks record to 8-10 across the first two weeks. Tom Freeman-Eves on the other hand, went 5-4 in his picks for Week 3. He’ll take a break from this week, but Luis Ramos will try his hand for the week, this time.
Garett’s Picks
Puebla – Veracruz
Puebla has been solid but unspectacular. Veracruz his riding a small wave of momentum after drawing with Monarcas last week 2-2. They ought to be confident going into the match, but Puebla, especially at home, might be too tall a task for now. I’m getting weird gut feelings about a mini-turnaround for Los Tiburones Rojo, though. Puebla 1 – Veracruz 1
Monarcas – Necaxa
After last week’s draw with Veracruz, Monarcas returns home. They appear to be firmly middle of the road in Liga MX. In contrast, Necaxa still seems a team on the rise. If they can somehow sure up their back line enough to stop their opponents from scoring in bunches, they’ll be just fine. This match should offer them an opportunity for some confidence. Monarcas 2 – Necaxa 4
Lobos – Atlas
Lobos actually held the aggressive Necaxa to just 1 goal in their 0-1 loss, last week. It is important to note that Los Rayos were playing with 10 men for nearly 50 minutes, however. They get Atlas this week, who are, to put it bluntly, bad. They did see a 2-2 draw with Cruz Azul in the Copa MX this week, but Liga MX play is a totally different animal. Lobos 2 – Atlas 1
Leon – Queretaro
Leon battled to a draw last week and couldn’t take advantage of 10 man Tijuana. Queretaro, on the other hand, has quietly amassed 4 points on a Week 1 draw with Atlas and a win against Pachuca, before just falling short against Monterrey. So what kind of team are Los Gallos Blancos? They are focused defensively, in the Tijuana mold, as far as I can tell, although I’ll happily be corrected if need be. I think Leon is due, however. Leon 2 – Queretaro 1
Tigres – Toluca
Apart from their 2-0 victory in Week 1, Tigres have been punch-less. Before we start wondering if something is seriously wrong, though, this match against Toluca should tell us a lot. Toluca currently sit 8th in the table but have found life difficult these days. They’ve dropped three of their last four matches across all competitions and will be without goalkeeper, Alfredo Talavera. This seems to have all the makings of a blowout. Tigres 3 – Toluca 0
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America – Monterrey
America looked like a good team last week. They finally looked dangerous and creative in attack, due in large part to Diego Lainez. If Renato and Uribe are healthy, it will be interesting to see how Piojo Herrera works his lineup. I would assume Lainez heads back to the bench, but that would be a mistake, in my opinion. I still believe Ibarrguen provides some value, but if he sits so Lainez plays, I’m not too upset. In any case, this will be an awesome matchup and tell us a lot about who these teams really are. Monterrey are beginning to find their groove, I think, so America can’t start slow. America 2 – Monterrey 2
Pumas – Pachuca
Pumas have been a beneficiary of a weaker schedule, but that doesn’t change the fact that they should beat up on Pachuca. Assuming new signing, Leo Ulloa, won’t be in the team yet, Pachuca has no firepower, as of now. It’s hard to say whether he’d make a big enough difference anyway. Pumas 3 – Pachuca 0
Chivas – Santos
Liga MX will watch with wonder as the two teams that have been making headlines all week face off. I’ve come around to thinking the change in the locker room and on the sidelines might give Club Santos a boost of energy, wanting to come out and prove themselves. Of course, that could also mean trying too hard. Chivas will be without Orbelin Pineda because of red card suspension and their attack is very inconsistent anyway. I’ll continue my growing Santos love, as well as my Chivas “hater-ness”, though. Chivas 2 – Santos 3
Xolos – Cruz Azul
Cruz Azul have clearly been the better side through the first few matches of the Apertura. Xolos knows how to bunker down though, and their advantage will be their turf pitch, which can take some time for other teams to adapt to. I think Xolos comes away with a draw that feels like a victory. Xolos 1 – Cruz Azul 1