Chivas look to make it 2 wins in a row vs Puebla
Guadalajara goes on the road to take on Puebla hoping they can establish momentum after last week’s upset of defending champs.
The Chivas bounced back from a terrible outing against Santos in Matchday 1 with an upset win against the Tigres 2-0. Coach Tomas Boy revitalized the team with a defense comprised of Antonio Briseño, Oswaldo Alanis, Miguel Ponce and Jose Van Rankin. He was further helped by the unreal game Jose Antonio Rodriguez had at goalkeeper. They’ll hope to develop momentum against a Puebla team that comes off a bye after losing its opener.
Even so, Guadalajara must be careful because the last time they played Puebla (Matchday 15 of the Clausura) they lost 3-1. This season is different though.
Puebla’s offense is dependent on how Canadian striker Lucas Cavallini plays. With 6 goals and 2 assists last season, he’s someone to look out for. Puebla may not get too many chances, but Cavallini and Uruguayan Christian Tabo play well together. Tabo was one of the only bright spots for Puebla against Tijuana in their Matchday 1 loss, and he will look to be a nuisance for the Chivas’ backline.
More from Viva Liga MX
- Guillermo Ochoa is out 4-6 weeks
- The Clásico Regiomontano is Heating Up
- Pumas: In Search of Regaining a Top Spot
- Why the United States Is Set to Overtake Mexico on the World Stage
- Erick Gutierrez is out once again
Formations
Chivas: Guadalajara should go back to what they know best, and that’s the formation they had last game with those essential four defenders in the back, but with more attacking prowess in midfield. The fact that Javier “Chofis” Lopez started made the Guadalajara faithful happy. Oribe Peralta left much to be desired in the front, and seeing Alexis Vega instead would be nice instead. Alan Pulido gets a lot of criticism, but when he wants to play, he plays well. Boy even has him defending. Rodriguez should keep his starting position due to his magic against the Tigres.
4-1-3-2
Rodriguez
Van Rankin – Briseño – Alanis – Ponce
Molina
Brizuela – Chofis – Sandoval
Peralta – Pulido
Puebla: The Camoteros have some work to do, but up front they looked decent. The 4-2-2-2 they used against Tijuana’s 4-4-2 wasn’t pretty and left them open to attack especially how their attacking midfielders were caught forward too much. Tabo needs to be in that #10 role and not wide to be as creative as he can be . He can work better with Cavallini from the middle and anticipate his runs. They might want to shore up the defense to protect their weak spots, one of whom is right back Alejandro Chumacero.
4-3-2-1
Vikonas
Chumacero – Vidro – Arreola – Angulo
Salinas – Zavala – Espericueta
Fernandez – Tabo
Cavallini
Prediction
The Chivas will play fluidly as they prefer to do, with a majority of possession. Peralta gets his first goal as a Chivas player, Chofis bags an assist, and a header goal on a corner from either Antonio Briseno or Oswaldo Alanis. Puebla get a goal from Cavallini but fall short and the questioning for both coaches continue as their seats get hotter with or without a win.