Preview: CD Guadalajara vs Juarez – prediction, team news, schedule

Both looking to bounce back from their opening day defeats, CD Guadalajara and Juarez will meet at Akron Stadium on the second day of the Liga MX Apertura campaign on Sunday morning.

While Los Bravos will be out to secure their first away win since March 5, Gabriel Milito’s men will be aiming to give their fans something to cheer about, having lost their last two league games in Jalisco.

Game preview

It was another painful start to Guadalajara’s Apertura campaign as they lost 2-0 to Toluca in their season opener last Sunday after playing with 10 men for most of the second half at Akron Stadium.

With Alexis Vega breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time, Angel Sepulveda’s red card in the 50th minute gave the visitors a numerical advantage, one they would make the most of, which Jesus Gallardo put in in the 74th minute to seal the score.

Guadalajara has now failed to win its opening match of the new Apertura campaign in three consecutive years, since July 2023, when it secured a strong 2-1 victory over Club Leon with goals from Antonio Briseno and Yael Padilla.

Milito’s men embark on a new promotion campaign following a strong Clausura performance last season, where they finished sixth to qualify for the play-offs before losing 3-2 on aggregate to Cruz Azul in the quarter-finals.

Since their exit from the play-offs, Guadalajara have strengthened the market, bringing in new faces, including Mexico international Kevin Castaneda and 24-year-old Jordan Carrillo, who scored six goals and provided three assists in 22 Clausura games for the Pumas last season.

Like Guadalajara, Juarez were denied a dream start to the new campaign in front of their home fans as they lost 1-0 against ten-man Puebla at the Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez last Saturday.

In a game where Iker Moreno received his marching orders, Ignacio Maestro Puch’s well-taken goal from inside the box in the 11th minute proved the difference as the visitors held on to see their first win in nine Liga MX games.

This followed a string of promising results in pre-season, where Juarez went unbeaten in each of their four pre-season games, winning twice and drawing twice, including a 1-1 draw against MLS side Colorado Rapids on July 10.

Although Pedro Caixinha’s men failed to qualify for the Clausura playoffs last season, they secured post-season football at the Apertura after defeating Tijuana and Pachuca in the Play-In before losing 2-1 on aggregate to Toluca in the quarter-finals.

While Juarez will be aiming to bounce back from an opening day slump, next up is the challenge of an opposition side that have failed to concede a win in nine of their last ten meetings, losing five and drawing four since August 2021.

CD Guadalajara Liga MX form:

Form of CD Guadalajara (all competitions):

Juarez Liga MX form:

Juarez’s form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago Images / Straffon

Guadalajara will have to deal with the problem without veteran striker Sepulveda, the 35-year-old will miss this weekend’s game due to suspension following his red card against Toluca.

In his absence, Ricardo Marin, 28, should start the season, forming a two-man attack with Roberto Alvarado, who scored three assists in five games for Mexico in the recently concluded World Cup.

On the injury front, Leonardo Sepulveda missed last week’s opener with an ankle problem and the 25-year-old defender is doubtful for Sunday’s game.

As for Juarez, Lucas Romero’s debut ended abruptly against Puebla last Saturday after coming off injured in the seventh minute, and the former Recoleta man is also in serious doubt for the trip to Akron Stadium.

Should Romero fail to shake off injury, Denzell Garcia should slot into Los Bravos’ XI, joining Guilherme Castilho and Spanish midfielder Monchu in the center of the park.

CD Guadalajara likely to start the series:

Rangel; Aguirre, Romo, Campillo; F Gonzalez; Ledezma, Govea, Castaneda, B Gonzalez, Alvarado, Marin

Juarez will start with the program:

Jurado; Mayorga, Murillo, Ortega, Aquino; Monchu, Garcia, Castilho; Ricardinho, Silva, Estupinan

We say: CD Guadalajara 3-1 Juarez

Meetings between Guadalajara and Juarez have tended to be explosive in the past and another crowded contest could be on our hands this weekend as both sides look to get their season going.

A return of just one win from their last eight Liga MX games means Caixinha’s men face a tough challenge in Jalisco, and given Guadalajara’s strong results in recent meetings between the two sides, we expect them to perform and take out the visitors this weekend.

For data analysis of the most likely results, score lines and more for this game please click here.