This Friday, October 27, 2017 (5:00 PM Pacific) Puebla will host Pumas UNAM at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc for a game in the 15th round of matches in the Liga MX Apertura 2017. Both teams are near the bottom half of the table and do not have a realistic chance of making the playoffs.
Puebla has been a struggling franchise in the Liga MX for a few seasons now and is currently in 16th place with 12 points. La Franja is also in the relegation race this season with four other teams and has had poor attendances throughout the competition, only bringing in over 10 thousand fans twice in the Apertura. Manager Enrique Meza is trying to turn things around and has been very successful so far with a loss against Pachuca, a draw against Queretaro and a 2-0 win against Monterrey.
Canadian striker Lucas Cavallini has been one of the most impressive players so far with four goals from just six games as a starter. This should be a very winnable game for Los Camoteros especially with the home-field advantage but they will also face a team that is currently in a transitional phase.
Pumas UNAM is in its second consecutive disastrous tournament, currently in 17th place with just 11 points. The Mexico City team appears to have the talent on its team to succeed or to at least make the playoffs with players like Gerardo Alcoba, Abraham Gonzalez and Marcelo Diaz but has failed to find stability and structure. A big downfall for the team has been the absence of Chilean striker Nicolas Castillo, which can arguably be the stem of Pumas’ massive struggles.
Los Capitalinos are on their third manager, David Patino and are starting to see some signs of progress with a win against Leon, a draw against Necaxa and a loss against Monterrey. This is also a winnable game for Pumas UNAM and there is no clear winner heading into the match, which should produce an entertaining game at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc.
