When CD Guadalajara hosts Necaxa at the Estadio Akron on Friday, they will look to maintain their Liga MX season’s flawless start.
The home team has started Liga MX with back-to-back victories and now leads the standings, while the visitors have drew both of their first two games and will be hoping for a surprise to claim their first win of the season.
CD Guadalajara entered the 2023–24 Liga MX season hoping to win home silverware for the first time since 2017, having come close the previous season by initially placing ninth in the Apertura phase and then losing in reclassification.
The Chivas Rayadas did then experience a more successful run in the Clausura competition, securing a quarterfinal spot with a third-place finish, and they would advance all the way to the final with victories over Atlas and Club America. However, they would then face Tigres in the final and fall at the very last hurdle, ultimately losing 3-2 in extra time despite going up 2-0 through Roberto Alvarado and Victor Guzman.
After that heartbreak in late May, Veljko Paunovic’s team quickly shifted their attention to the upcoming season in an effort to end their wait for another top-flight title. They would make a strong start in a challenging opening-day trip to Leon, ultimately winning 2-1 thanks to Jonathan Padilla’s goal in the 81st minute after Antonio Briseno’s opener was cancelled out.
The Chivas Rayadas then hosted Atletico San Luis on Sunday in an effort to make it two victories in a row, and they once more came away with all three points. Padilla and Fernando Beltran gave them a 2-0 lead before Ronaldo Cisneros scored in the 80th minute to seal a 3-1 triumph.
Guadalajara is the only Liga MX team with two victories, giving them some confidence right now. To guarantee a spot in the knockout round’s quarterfinals, Guadalajara will want to establish themselves at the top of the Apertura table. On Friday, before the league’s break, they’ll try to make it nine points from three games.
Meanwhile, their visitors travel the challenging distance in an effort to score their first triumph at the third attempt.
Necaxa had a difficult season last time, and while they managed to finish in 12th place in the Apertura table, a 2-0 loss to Tigres prevented them from progressing past reclassification. Meanwhile, Los Rayos had a Clausura season to forget, eventually finishing 17th in the standings with just three victories and 14 points from their 17 games.
The season ended with a 3-0 loss to Toluca at the end of April. This year, they faced the same competition under the new leadership of Rafael Dudamel, and their fortunes improved to start with a goalless draw away from home.
The previous time Los Rayos faced Club Tijuana, their goalless streak continued, and they appeared to be headed for a 1-0 loss after Carlos Gonzalez gave the visitors the lead in the 73rd minute. However, Alan Montes came up with a crucial equaliser in stoppage time to force a tie and force a share of the spoils.