Chivas Guadalajara and Monterrey face off Saturday in the marquee matchup of Week 9 of the 2019 Liga MX Clausura.
Chivas arrives to this match fresh off a 3-1 defeat to Pachuca and will be looking to avoid consecutive defeats for the first time this season. After a promising start, the Guadalajara outfit has slowed down considerably and is now tasked with taking on the second-place team in the league, Monterrey. Diego Alonso’s men were only able to get a draw in their last game out, but they remain the only undefeated team left in the Clausura. Out of their last four matches, Rayados has won all four and is actively one of the favorites to win it all this season.
- The OVER has hit in Monterrey’s last six Liga MX matches.
- Chivas Guadalajara remains unbeaten at home in this 2019 Liga MX Clausura.
- Monterrey has just one defeat in its last six Liga MX matches away from home.
Chivas Guadalajara vs Monterrey Game Center
Monterrey has been a consistent side
While there is no doubt the hottest team in Liga MX right now is Club León, as far as the most consistent team is concerned, Monterrey takes the cake. It’s not just that they are the only undefeated team left in this Clausura. It is the fact that they’ve been pretty good for a while now. Including last season, Monterrey has lost just once in its last 15 Liga MX games.
By the way, that defeat came against Cruz Azul in the 2018 Liga MX Apertura semifinals, in a game in which Rayados probably deserved to win over the eventual second-place finishers.
Every aspect of Chivas is struggling (including its defense)
One of the things that was going so well for Chivas early in the season was its defense. The fact that Chivas lost to Pachuca and conceded three goals in the process can be seen as a little worrying if you are a Chivas backer. In fact, this was the second time in the last three matches that they conceded three goals.
Why is this important? Well, that’s because Chivas will be facing what is currently the best offense in Liga MX. At the moment, Monterrey leads all teams in scoring with 20 goals, and prior to last week’s scoreless draw vs Puebla, Monterrey had scored at least one goal in every single one of its Liga MX matches.
This match has OVER written all over it
Speaking on the topic of lots of goals, the OVER has always been a profitable bet when it comes to games between Chivas and Monterrey. For whatever reason, any time these two teams meet, they tend to bring their A-game offensively. Most recently, the OVER has hit in each of the last five head-to-head meetings between these two clubs. In total, the OVER has hit in eight of their last nine.
Coincidentally, the last four times both of these teams avoided an OVER, the scoreline ended 1-0. There is always the possibility that this could happen again, but a lot of it will depend on what kind of team Monterrey will field. Los Rayados seem like they are prioritizing the CONCACAF Champions League a lot more than the other Liga MX teams in the competition, and resting a guy like Rogelio Funes Mori for this match isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Funes Mori is currently the leading goalscorer in the league, so it might help to check the lineups of the game beforehand.
My take on the game...
I’m taking the OVER in this match and a Monterrey win. Chivas looks well on the way to regressing back to mediocrity, while Monterrey has found a way to stay consistent across the first few weeks of the season. I don’t see how the Rebaño manage to get the win against one of the best teams in the league.
