Liga MX: Santos Laguna hopes to regroup against Necaxa
Disappointed with a draw in Jornada 10, Santos Laguna is staring down a Necaxa side that appears to be improving as the season progresses.
Necaxa is probably catching Santos at a bad time. After storming to a top five position in the Liga MX table, Santos got caught flat-footed against the struggling Tiburones from Veracruz. Necaxa, meanwhile has had a couple of encouraging matches that seem to indicate a slight turn in form for the club. Those might be continuing trends, but more likely it will serve as a wake-up call to the Liga MX title holders that they need to keep their foot on the gas pedal to maintain their contender status.
Last Match
Santos: D v. Veracruz
Without midfielder Jose Vazquez, Santos was unable to get rolling the way they did against Leon the week prior. Jona Rodriguez put away a gorgeous pass from Brian Lozano just after half time, but Veracruz had the better chances and Cristian Menendez scored on an impressive back-heel shot to knot the game at one goal a piece. Goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco was fantastic on the match and is the main reason Santos could come away with a point, despite the disappointing play.
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Necaxa: L @ Toluca 2-3
Coming off a win against top-of-the-table Cruz Azul, Necaxa was flying high into their match against Toluca. Striker Alexis Vega had a fantastic match for Toluca and put enough pressure on the Rayos defense to move the home side ahead 3-1, before captain Matias Fernandez drew Necaxa closer in the 88th minute. After such a big upset, it has to be encouraging for Necaxa fans to see their side with more possession and big chances than their opponent, even if the score line doesn’t end in their favor.
Predicted Lineups
Santos: 4-3-3
Orozco
Abella – Nervo – Doria – Angulo
Rivas- Vazquez – Lozano
Preciado – Furch – Rodriguez
I’m not sure if Vazquez is healthy enough to go Saturday, but the result against Veracruz says he needs to be in the lineup, if fit. Ulises Rivas played well enough against Los Tiburones to merit another start, in my mind. I like the 4-3-3 because I think it gives Los Guerreros balance and clearly defined roles at every level. Santos doesn’t rely heavily on their midfield, anyway, so giving up a little room in that section of the field isn’t a big deal to me, especially if Vazquez is healthy and providing interference through the spine of the pitch. Ayrton Preciado made such a big impact against Leon that I really want to see him starting up top again. My one concern with this lineup is how it might stand up to a better offensive club than Leon. Necaxa’s defense has been pretty bad, though. I expect Santos to have the ball in the Necaxa end more, anyway.
Necaxa: 4-2-3-1
Gonzalez
Beckeles – Hernandez – Alvarado – Mayorga
Gonzalez – Fernandez
Alvarez – Villalpando – Davila
Gallegos
The same lineup that took down Cruz Azul and made things interesting against Toluca is the largely the same squad I expect to see on Saturday. Daniel Alvarez might be switched out for Sebastian Cordova, depending on Alvarez’s health. For all its struggles, the back line for Necaxa has been organized, at least. Looking at heat-maps for the defenders shows clearly defined areas of space they have occupied, that should help them overcome some of the talent gap they tend to face. Felipe Gallegos has come on as a sub the last two matches and fared decently. Necaxa has struggled a bit in finding a true tip of the spear for the 4-2-3-1. Why not give Gallegos a go this time around?
Key Players
Santos: Julio Furch. Santos needs to come out of the gate and put pressure on Necaxa immediately, especially since they are on the road, and especially since they came away so disappointed last match. Furch has been the best player in Liga MX this season, so he needs to be the leader in Santos’ re-energizing efforts.
Necaxa: Victor Davila has been Necaxa’s best player. When they beat Club America and when they beat Cruz Azul, Davila was the most dangerous man, causing problems for their opponents and making his teammates dangerous, as well. He’ll need a similar performance to beat Santos Laguna.
Prediction
After such a bummer of a draw, Santos will be playing for a win, rather than going to Necaxa with the typical mindset that says “a draw on the road is a good result”. They’ll want to come out strong and put away a side that has gained some confidence after a lengthy struggle around the bottom of the Liga MX table.