Atletico de San Luis vs. Chivas Guadalajara Odds, Prediction, Picks

WSN

03 February 2024

Atletico de San Luis vs. Chivas Guadalajara Odds, Prediction, Picks

Atletico de San Luis vs. Chivas Guadalajara Predictions

The new Clausura season started well for San Luis as they registered a narrow 1-0 away win over Mazatlan FC in their opening fixture. At home in the second match, the club doubled their win tally with a stellar 3-1 win over Pumas UNAM. However, the momentum was not strong enough to keep the club on the winning path as San Luis encountered two back-to-back defeats against the title contenders – Tigres UANL and Monterrey.

In the Clausura 2023 season, Chivas were in excellent shape and were one step away from securing their 13th Liga MX title. However, they were halted at the end by Tigres. After that, the club has allowed mediocrity to sneak back into the team. Their Clausura campaign started with a draw against Santos Laguna, followed by a loss against Tigres, and then came a draw against Tijuana. The winless streak ended earlier this week when Chivas beat Toluca 3-2.

On the one hand, San Luis are eager to become one of the strongest sides of the Mexican club football’s top division. On the other hand, Chivas are not as prolific as they used to be, and the high standards are dropping. This will be a mercurial encounter between two strong sides, who are both aiming for a fourth-place finish. Both have the potential to cancel the other out, meaning that this encounter will end in a stalemate.

Since 2010, these two clubs have gone head-to-head 16 times in Liga MX. Chivas are edging in front with six wins, while San Luis have won on four occasions. Six games have ended in draws, with the last one coming in the Clausura 2023 campaign.

In the 2023 Apertura season, Chivas and San Luis clashed at Estadio Akron. Angel Zaldivar was sent off in the 18th minute, and the hosts took full advantage of it. Jonathan Padilla opened the scoring in the 38th minute, two minutes before Fernando Beltran doubled Chivas’ lead.

Unai Bilbao pulled one back from the spot just before the break to give the visitors hope. However, the hope was crushed in the 80th minute when Ronaldo Cisneros scored Chivas’ third and final goal of the evening.

Atletico de San Luis Will Prey on Weaker Teams

In the Apertura 2023 season, San Luis struggled to secure positive results against the strongest sides of the league in the regular season. However, wins against the weaker teams helped the club reach their first-ever Liga MX playoff semifinals.

Gustavo Leal’s men will follow the same strategy. They have already picked up the maximum points against Mazatlan and Pumas and then failed to pick any against Tigres and Monterrey. Now, against Chivas, San Luis will go for the win but will be content with a draw as well.

Lacking Threat From Set Pieces Without Key Defender

Four games into the new season, San Luis have scored six goals, and all six have come from open play. Last season, almost 25% of San Luis’ goals came via set pieces.

Most of these goals were scored by Unai Bilbao. The strong center-back was a constant threat in the opposition box during corners and free-kicks. However, a back injury will keep the Spaniard out for a few weeks.

German Attacker Jumps on the Goalscoring Bandwagon

There were major concerns in the San Luis attacking department last season as all their strikers were misfiring. However, this season, Leo and Vitinho have stepped up their game.

Leo has scored three goals in four appearances, while Vitinho has pocketed three assists in four games. In addition, Mateo Klimowicz scored his first of the season in the last match and was the standout player. The winger only scored one goal in 18 appearances last season.

Chivas Guadalajara Need to Take Small Steps

After losing in the Apertura 2023 playoff quarterfinals, Chivas’ performance has gone downhill. They lost the second leg of the quarterfinal encounter against Pumas last season and then extended their winless streak to four games last weekend.

Chivas were on the verge of extending the streak to five games earlier this week, but Ricardo Marin popped up with his first goal of the season and Chivas’ third of the night in the 81st minute as the hosts defeated Toluca 3-2. Another positive result in the next match will certainly help Chivas get back on track.

Gaining Winning Momentum Is Key for the Next Few Weeks

This is the perfect opportunity for Chivas to start a winning or unbeaten streak. A win against San Luis will ensure two back-to-back wins ahead of the next set of games against opponents like FC Juarez, Mazatlan, and Necaxa.

All three clubs are struggling and will be significantly weaker than a driven Chivas side. If complacency does not creep in, the 12-time Liga MX champions have a chance to recover lost form.

The Away Form Needs to Improve

In the two previous away games this season, Chivas have lost one and drawn the other. Last season, the club only won three out of eight games on the road.

This season, if Chivas are aiming for the place, they will have to beat their away points tally of 11 on the road, which they accumulated last season.