Necaxa vs Puebla Predictions
Necaxa and Puebla meet at Estadio Victoria on Friday in a Liga MX Apertura contest.
Both teams have struggled to keep clean sheets this year, and another entertaining encounter seems likely.
BTTS is my best bet, while I also have a stake on over 2.5 goals scored.
Goals Expected at Estadio Victoria
- Necaxa have seen BTTS in 9 of their last 10 matches
- Necaxa have seen over 2.5 goals in 7 of their last 10 matches
- Necaxa have seen an average of 3.0 goals per game in their last 10 matches
- Puebla have seen BTTS in 5 of their last 8 matches against Necaxa
- Puebla have seen BTTS & over 2.5 goals in 4 of their first 6 matches
- Necaxa have seen an average of 3.66 goals per game in their last 9 matches
Necaxa Hold Recent H2H Advantage
Necaxa and Puebla have met on 13 occasions since 2020. Necaxa won six of those matches, while Puebla claimed four victories. Three matches finished level.
The home side are unbeaten in their last five encounters against Puebla, winning four successive contests before a goalless draw last March.
Necaxa Earn Point at Tigres
Necaxa come into Friday’s Liga MX contest after a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Tigres last weekend.
Owen Gonzalez fired the visitors ahead in the 12th minute before Rodrigo Aguirre secured a point for the home side.
Los Rayos missed an excellent opportunity to claim maximum points when Julian Carranza missed a penalty midway through the first half.
Despite managing only 42% possession and being outshot 22-16, Necaxa created the better scoring opportunities. Martin Varini's side posted an xG total of 3.27 compared with Tigres' 1.81.
The out-of-form hosts have now failed to win seven of their last eight games across all competitions. Winless in their last five Liga MX fixtures, Necaxa sit 13th in the division, with eight points collected from seven matches.
An inability to keep clean sheets has ensured several high-scoring outcomes this season. BTTS landed in all seven of their Liga MX matches this season and in 11 of their last 12 since April.
Puebla Return After Extended Break
Puebla make the trip to Aguascalientes nearly two weeks after suffering a 2-0 defeat against Club America.
Icaro opened the scoring midway through the first half before Brian Rodriguez secured the points with a second goal in the closing stages.
Gerardo Espinoza's side were more competitive than the final scoreline suggests. Puebla managed 49% possession, outshot America 16-15 and registered five efforts on target.
La Franja were due to face Toluca last weekend, but that fixture was postponed and rescheduled for later this month.
Coming into Friday’s fixture, Puebla sit ninth in the Liga MX, with ten points picked up from six games completed.
On the road, the visitors have been up-and-down, recording two wins and two defeats from four away matches. An impressive 3-2 win at Pachuca stands out as their best result of the season so far.
Like the home side, clean sheets remain frustratingly elusive for the visitors. Puebla conceded at least one goal in 14 of their last 15 competitive fixtures. Ten of those matches also saw BTTS.
Necaxa vs Puebla Team News
Necaxa: (3-4-2-1) Luis Jimenez; Emilio Martinez, Kaiky Naves, Agustin Oliveros; Owen Gonzalez, Pedro Pedraza, Lorenzo Faravelli, Mauro Zaleta; Matias Espindola, Javier Ruiz; Julian Carranza
Necaxa boss Varini is expected to retain the bulk of the first XI that started last weekend's draw against Tigres.
Carlos Vargas is likely to remain sidelined as he continues his recovery from a concussion.
Carranza should lead the home attack despite missing a penalty against Tigres. The Argentine forward has scored four league goals this season.
Puebla: (4-2-3-1) Ricardo Gutierrez; Fernando Monarrez, Juan Pablo Vargas, Facundo Almada, Iker Moreno; Alonso Ramirez, Alejandro Organista; Carlos Baltazar, Kevin Velasco, Brayan Garnica; Eduardo Mustre
Puebla head coach Espinoza has two potential injury absentees for Friday's contest. Ignacio Maestro Puch is ruled out with a thigh injury while Eduardo Navarro is doubtful to feature.
Eduardo Mustre should continue as the central striker after scoring three goals in his first six Apertura appearances.