The struggles that overcame Chivas in the Apertura have continued into the Clausura, much to the frustration of manager Matias Almeyda.
The manager said during the offseason he was hoping for three new signings, and perhaps new blood would've helped the team avoid a 2-0 loss to Puebla last time out.
Santos Laguna is sitting in the playoff places, undefeated in its last three matches, and now heads to Estadio Chivas looking to continue Chivas' miserable run.
Forward Djaniny leads the league with six goals through five weeks, but Los Guerreros were kept off the board last week by a strong Tijuana back line.
| Game | Chivas vs. Santos Laguna |
| Date | Saturday, February 10 |
| Time | 10:06 p.m. ET |
| Stream (U.S. only) | fuboTV (7-day free trial) |
LIVE STREAM
Oscar Wong
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SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
| Position | Chivas players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Rodriguez, Cota, Jimenez |
| Defenders | Alanis, Slacido, Pereira, Marin, Hernandez, Sanchez, Basulto |
| Midfielders | Pineda, Lopez, Sandoval, Benitez, Pizarro, Perez, Cervantes, O. Macias |
| Forwards | Pulido, Brizuela, Zaldivar, C. Cisneros, R. Cisneros, J. Macias |
It could be an entirely new center-back pairing for manager Matias Almeyda. The Argentine said this week that he's considering playing Oswaldo Alanis, who missed most of preseason with a contract dispute and is yet to play with Chivas this tournament. Jair Pereira may be fit for a return to the squad after missing most of the season with various injuries.
Potential starting XI: Cota; Sanchez, Pereira, Alanis, Hernandez; Perez, Pineda; Lopez, Pizarro, C. Cisneros; Pulido
| Position | Santos Laguna players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Orozco, Acevedo, Garcia |
| Defenders | Izquierdoz, Araujo, Alcoba, Villafana, Arteaga, Abella, Sanchez, Ibanez, Bernal |
| Midfielders | Vazquez, Rivas, Andrade, Martinez, de Buen, Cortes, Rabello, Davila, Lozano, Martinez, Isijara |
| Forwards | Furch, Rodriguez, Djaniny |
Santos Laguna struggled to score against a Club Tijuana defense that is yet to concede in the Clausura heading into the weekend, but manager Robert Siboldi may stick with the same attacking line anyway, with Djaniny the standout player so far this season.
Potential starting XI: Orozco; Abela, Izquierdoz, Araujo, Villafana; Isijara, Vazquez, Martinez; Djaniny, Furch, Rodriguez
GAME PREVIEW
Chivas continue to struggle since winning the Liga MX title last spring and hope to reverse course this weekend.
Manager Matias Almeyda is yet to put Oswaldo Alanis on the field this season after the center back and the club were locked in a contract dispute in the offseason. Whether it's because Alanis isn't fit was thrown into further doubt last week when he started the Mexico national team's match against Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Alanis may see the field this week and Jair Pereira could return as well, meaning Hedgardo Marin and Carlos Salcido would drop to the bench. Chivas need a strong defensive performance against a Santos team that has scored seven goals so far this tournament
The key will be shutting down Djaniny, who has all but one of the goals so far this tournament for Robert Siboldi's side. Last weekend, Club Tijuana kept the Cape Verde international off the score sheet and left Torreon with a scoreless draw. Tijuana's defense, though, looks much more stout than Chivas' through six matches.
Up front, Chivas also look out of ideas, with Rodolfo Pizarro trying to bring forward Alan Pulido into the play but failing to connect. Javier "La Chofis" Lopez has cooled after a fast start.
Santos will believe it can get at least something out of this match, despite it being on the road. Chivas have an abysmal home record, losing their last four home matches across all competitions.
