2023 Clausura top-seed Monterrey will kickstart their 2023/24 Liga MX campaign when they take on Atletico San Luis at Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramirez on Sunday.
Monterrey were super impressive last season, but just couldn’t get over the line and lift the title despite being at the top of the table for the better part of the season.
They were edged out by Club America by just three points in Apertura last year, but they only went from strength to strength in the second half of the season, winning 13 of their 17 games and clinching first place with one game to spare.
Although they failed to lift silverware, they will look back at the last campaign as a huge improvement after a very underwhelming 2021/22 campaign where they only managed ninth and seventh-place finishes in Apertura and Clausura, respectively.
Manager Victor Manuel Vucetich departed on May 28 after Rayados fell 2-1 on aggregate to Tigres in the semifinals of the final phase, with Fernando Ortiz appointed as his replacement by the club.
The former Club America manager is no stranger to the league, and will now take over in an attempt to bring back the spark to the once-reigning side.
On the other hand, San Luis delivered a relatively underwhelming performance during the regular phase of the championship. Combining the Apertura and Clausura campaigns, they were able to register just nine wins in total from combined 34 matches, even failing to make the top 12 in the first part of the season.
The hosts did manage to secure their place in the playoffs by winning their reclassification game in Clausara phase. They put up a valiant fight but narrowly lost to America in the quarterfinals. It goes without saying that they are huge underdogs this weekend at the Estadio Alfonso Lastras.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
San Luis vs Monterrey kick-off time
| Date: | July 1, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT |
| Venue: | Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramirez |
San Luis and Monterrey face off on July 1st at Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramirez. Kickoff is set for 7:00 pm Eastern Time (ET), or 4:00 pm Pacific Time (PT).
How to watch San Luis vs Monterrey online - TV channels & live streams
 | ViX+ | Watch here |
The game will be available to stream live online through ViX+.
Team news & squads
San Luis team news
San Luis have embarked on yet another rebuilding campaign after a raft of roster changes and the departure of former manager, Andre Jardine, to Club America in the off-season. Assistant coach Gustavo Leal has since taken over Jardine's position and will be leading the game for this difficult-looking season opener.
Leal will have almost a full-strength squad to pick from in his first Apertura match, with Leo Bonatini (ankle) the only injury concern.
After largely struggling defensively last term, they have done well to reinforce in the centre-back area with the signings of Julio Cesar Dominguez (free transfer) and Jordan Silva. Defender Fernando Leon has returned from his loan spell with Emelec and will also be competing for a starting role.
Atletico San Luis possible XI: Sanchez; Chavez, Garcia, Bilbao, Sanabria; Villalpando, Dourado, Guemez; Vitinho, Murillo, Zaldivar
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Sanchez, Urtiaga |
| Defenders: | Chavez, Garcia, Bilbao, Sanabria, Martinez, Silva, Aguila, Castro, Dominguez, Chavez |
| Midfielders: | Villalpando, Dourado, Guemez, Klimovicz, Damm, Gutierrez, Iniestra, Sanabria, |
| Forwards: | Vitinho, Murillo, Zadivar, Bonatini |
Monterrey team news
Monterrey will be without the presence of key attacking midfielder Arturo Gonzalez in their attack as the 25-year-old continues to recover from a knee injury and will likely sit out at least another month.
Manager Fernando Ortiz has a more attack-minded style of play in comparison to the previous manager, and with plenty of top level talent at his disposal, they are sure to be in the title race this time around as well.
They haven't made many changes to their roster so far. In fact, they have yet to make their first signing of the summer. However, the visitors have let go of the likes of goalkeeper Hugo Gonzalez (Mazatlan), striker Alfonso Alvarada (Leon), and winger Duvan Vergera (Santos, loan).
Monterrey possible XI: Andrada; Medina, Guzman, Moreno, Gallardo; Meza, Ortiz, Romo, Aguirre, Mori; Berterame
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Andrara, Cardenas, Ramos |
| Defenders: | Medina, Guzman, Moreno, Gallardo, Vegas, Sanchez, Grijalva, Parra, Gutierrez, E. Aguirre |
| Midfielders: | Rmo, Ortiz, R. Aguirre, J. Gonzalez |
| Forwards: | Berterame, Funes Mori, Cortezo, Meza, Rojas |
Head-to-Head Record
Monterrey have the better record in this fixture over the years, winning two of the last five games between the two sides.
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 22/1/23 | Monterrey 3-1 San Luis | Clausura 2023 |
| 18/7/22 | San Luis 0-1 Monterrey | Apertura 2022 |
| 8/5/22 | Monterrey 2-2 San Luis | Clausura 2022 |
| 27/2/22 | Monterrey 0-2 San Luis | Apertura 2021 |
| 1/11/21 | San Luis 1-1 Monterrey | Clausura 2021 |