Chivas of Guadalajara will square off against Monterrey at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer this Saturday, January 14, 2017 (5:00 PM Pacific). The all-Mexican side is coming off a well-played home victory over Pumas UNAM while Monterrey defeated Puebla while on the road. Chivas played a 4-2-3-1 against Pumas, and expect to see the same formation once again for the match against Los Rayados. Here is the ideal Guadalajara eleven for Saturday’s game:
Goalkeeper: Rodolfo Cota
Cota didn’t have much chance to save Pumas’ only goal, but he did make quite a few saves en route to the victory.
Left Back: Edwin Hernández
Center Backs: Jair Pereira and Oswaldo Alanís
Pereira is a staple of the Chivas defense at this point, and seems to be favored by Almeyda. If last week is any indication, Alanís will be taking most of the work at CB instead of Carlos Salcido.
Right Back: Jesús Sanchez
Central Midfielders: Orbelín Pineda and Michael Pérez
Many fans and pundits believe Pineda is the best player on the team, bar none. Even those that don’t agree he is right up there and is a lock to start when fit. Pérez didn’t play in week 1, but he, like Pineda, was a cornerstone of the offense during the Apertura.
Right Wing: Ángel Zaldívar
Zaldívar contributed an assist during week 1, setting up what would turn out to be the deciding goal.
Center Attacking Midfielder: Javier Eduardo López
Chofis scored against Pumas in the opener, and overall looked good out there. It seems unlikely he would get benched after such a strong showing.
Left Wing: Rodolfo Pizarro
The expensive signing from Pachuca made his debut last week and meshed well with the team. The youngster is going to be a serious weapon for Chivas.
Striker: Alan Pulido
Pulido remains the biggest scoring threat for Chivas, and he of course already struck once in this young season.
