Mexican Liga MX Preview: Cruz Azul Rebuilds and Sets Out, Mazatlán Struggles Away from Home

On July 7th at 11:00 AM, in the 1st round of the 2024-25 Liga MX Apertura season, Cruz Azul hosts Mazatlán.

As one of the Liga MX’s established clubs, Cruz Azul narrowly missed out on glory last season. After securing the second position in the regular season, they knocked out Pumas and Monterrey before losing to América in the final with a 1-2 aggregate score, settling for the runner-up spot. During the off-season, Cruz Azul bolstered its squad, spending €8 million to bring in Greek striker Giakoumakis from Atlanta United in MLS, signed midfielder Montaño from this match’s opponents, Mazatlán, and welcomed right-back Jorge Sánchez back from Ajax, strengthening their lines across the board.

In recent friendlies, Cruz Azul defeated Colombian side América de Cali 1-0, maintaining an unbeaten run of three matches – drawing against Guadalajara and convincingly defeating Ascenso MX team Zacatecas. The team still has high ambitions and will aim for their first home win streak since March in this encounter. Cruz Azul needs to improve its attacking prowess, having scored only 23 goals in the previous regular season, ranking last among the top eight teams, just two more than Mazatlán.

Mazatlán had an underwhelming campaign in the previous Liga MX season, finishing 14th in the regular season with 16 points and missing out on the playoffs. As a relatively young club (established only five years ago) and the successor to Morelia, Mazatlán has consistently found itself in the lower half of the league table without notable achievements.

The team’s total squad value stands at €32.35 million, ranking fifth from the bottom in Liga MX, compared to Cruz Azul’s €72.2 million. With a modest budget, Mazatlán didn’t make significant signings during the break, signing defensive midfielder Alan Torres on a free transfer from Guadalajara and recalling loaned players Díaz and Leines from Tijuana and América, respectively. The departure of midfielder Montaño has left manager Vukčević, a former Cruz Azul and Mexico national team coach, with a challenging task since his appointment in May.

Mazatlán played only one friendly match ahead of the new season, drawing 1-1 against Ascenso MX’s Dorados. Their visit to Cruz Azul won’t be easy, as they have won only one of their last 12 away fixtures.

For Cruz Azul, midfielder Iturbide is out due to a long-term knee injury, while forward Gabriel Fernández is also injured and unavailable. Cruz Azul will rely on Güerrero Torres, who has scored in the past two matches, to maintain his form. On Mazatlán’s side, Maudueña returns from suspension but youngster Alciaga is with the Mexico U23 national team and won’t feature in the away fixture.

Cruz Azul, determined to challenge América once again, will host the match with a single-minded focus: securing a victory and starting the season with a bang.

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