Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Liga MX clash between Puebla and Atlas, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Puebla can extend their unbeaten run at home in Liga MX to three matches when they host Atlas on Friday at Estadio Cuauthemoc.
Thanks to a late goal in second-half stoppage time on matchday three, La Franja claimed a 2-2 draw with Club Leon, while Atlas won their first game in the 2024 Apertura, 1-0 over Santos Laguna.
Match preview
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Leaving it late has been the story of their domestic season so far, and on Tuesday, it was enough for Puebla to remain undefeated at home in the opening phase of this competition.
Three of their four goals scored in the Apertura this year have come with fewer than five minutes remaining, including two penalties converted beyond the 90th minute.
Early into the new campaign, Jose Manuel de la Torre has this team hanging onto the final spot in the play-in round with four points, three more than they had at this stage a year ago.
While they have scored in every match of the Apertura thus far, this group have looked a little shaky defensively, conceding six goals, the joint second-most in this competition.
They have points in six of their previous seven competitive fixtures against Atlas, playing to a 2-2 draw the last time they hosted them in the 2024 Clausura.
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For the first time in three years, Atlas have begun an Apertura campaign unbeaten after three matchdays, eventually finding a breakthrough just beyond the hour mark on Tuesday.
That has Benat San Jose‘s men sitting in third with five points and a place in the quarter-finals of the Apertura playoffs, just a point behind Tijuana for second.
Like Puebla, they have come out very determined in the second half of their matches, scoring three of their four goals in the final 45 minutes.
It has been nearly a dozen years (2012) since this team previously went unbeaten in their opening four matchdays of an Apertura season, though that ended up being a forgettable campaign as they finished second from bottom with just one domestic triumph.
Los Zorros have claimed at least a point in three consecutive Liga MX fixtures away from home against Puebla, including a convincing 4-0 win in the 2023 Clausura.
Puebla Liga MX form:
Atlas Liga MX form:
Team News
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Only one change was made to the Puebla starting 11 from matchday two to three, with Alberto Herrera replacing Raul Castillo.
Lucas Cavallini put his side in front with a 13th-minute strike on Tuesday and rescued a point for them late into added time as he is tied for the Golden Boot lead alongside Henry Martin of Club America with three goals.
On Friday, Atlas will be without Brian Lozano as he is recovering from knee surgery, Mauro Manotas is dealing with an ACL issue, Victor Rios remains doubtful due to a knock and Leonardo Flores likely will not be back this summer because of a leg injury.
Jeremy Marquez had the only goal in their victory on Tuesday, his first of the Apertura this season, and Jose Hernandez did not have to make a single stop for his first clean sheet of the competition.
Puebla possible starting lineup:
Rodriguez; Ferrareis, Gularte, Orona, Angulo; de Buen; Velasco, Gonzalez, Herrera, Alvarez; Cavallini
Atlas possible starting lineup:
Hernandez; Zaldivar, Nervo, Mora, Reyes; Marquez, Rocha; Murillo, Guillen, Fulgencio; Aguirre
We say: Puebla 2-2 Atlas
Both sides play an exciting brand of football and are aggressive in their approach, so we expect to see our share of chances with the back of the net bulging more than once, given the quality each team possesses.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.