Club America lock horns with Puebla in Liga MX Apertura action at Estadio Azteca on Saturday.
The hosts recorded their first win of the competition in their previous outing, with Alvaro Fidalgo scoring the winning goal in the 76th minute after Necaxa had equalized in the 68th minute.
Thanks to this win, they are eighth in the league standings with four points. Puebla lost 2-0 to Guadalajara in their previous outing at home. They played out a 1-1 draw in their season opener at Monterrey.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup wrapped up over the weekend and neither club had any players representing their national teams in the competition. A few players for the hosts are in action on Friday for the Bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics for the Mexico U23 side.
Club America vs Puebla Head-to-Head
The two South Mexican rivals have squared off 29 times across all competitions. The hosts currently hold the upper hand, having recorded 13 wins that includes a six-game winning streak.
Puebla have only managed to get the better of the Mexico City-based outfit five times. Their last win at Estadio Azteca came in 2011. As many as 11 games have ended in draws.
They last met in a Clausura fixture in February. Las Águilas recorded a 1-0 win in that game.
Club America form guide (Liga MX): W-D
Puebla form guide (Liga MX): L-D
Club America vs Puebla Team News
Club America
Antonio Lopez was on the bench against Necaxa and could be in contention to make an appearance as a substitute in this home game. He got a few minutes under his belt with the U20 side in July.
Federico Vinas is recovering from a thigh strain. He is only expected to receive medical clearance next week and will miss the game. Nicolás Benedetti has been given the all-clear by the medical team and his participation depends on Santiago Solari's call.
Guillermo Ochoa, Sebastian Cordova, Jorge Sanchez and Henry Martin remain unavailable for selection on account of participation at the Tokyo Olympics.
Injured: Federico Vinas, Nicolás Benedetti
Suspended: None
Unavailable (International Duty): Guillermo Ochoa, Jorge Sánchez, Sebastian Cordova, Henry Martin
Puebla
Currently, there are no injury or suspension concerns for the visiting team. Christian Tabó and Juan Segovia will return after serving a one-game suspension.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Unavailable (International Duty): None
Club America vs Puebla Predicted XI
Club America Predicted XI (4-1-4-1): Oscar Jimenez; Emanuel Aguilera, Bruno Valdez, Sebastián Cáceres, Miguel Layún; Pedro Aquino; Richard Sánchez, Mauro Laínez, Leonardo Suárez, Álvaro Fidalgo; Roger Martínez
Club Puebla Predicted XI (3-4-1-2): Antony Silva; Israel Reyes Romero, Juan Segovia, Emanuel Gularte; Maximiliano Araújo, Javier Salas, Diego de Buen, George Corral; Pablo Parra; Amaury Escoto, Christian Tabó
Club America vs Puebla Prediction
Both clubs are yet to hit top gear. Club America are without four key players but are still the favorites as they have not dropped a point at Saturday's venue since 2017.
We predict a narrow win for the home team.
Prediction: Club America 1-0 Puebla