It was a frustrating weekend for Monterrey and Cruz Azul.
Rayados saw Aviles Hurtado sent off in the 19th minute - unjustly in the eyes of manager Antonio Mohamed - and lost to Toluca in a match they mostly played with a one-man disadvantage.
Cruz Azul also lost, falling 2-0 to Necaxa at home for a second consecutive defeat.
Each team will be eager to get back to winning ways, with a quick turnaround providing an opportunity to turn things around quickly.
| Game | Monterrey vs. Cruz Azul |
| Date | Wednesday, Feburary 14 |
| Time | 9:45 p.m. ET |
| Stream (US only) | fuboTV (7-day free trial) |
LIVE STREAM
Pedro Pardo
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SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
| Position | Monterrey players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | H. Gonzalez, Carrizo, Resendez |
| Defenders | Montes, Basanta, Sanchez, Portales, Vasquez, Alvarez, Vangioni, Velarde, Medina, Juarez |
| Midfielders | Molina, Ortiz, Zavala, J. Gonzalez, Amaya, Sanchez, A. Gonzalez, Urretaviscaya, Hurtado |
| Forwards | Funes Mori, Pabon, Benitez, Villa, Cruz |
Aviles Hurtado is suspended after being sent off against Toluca on Sunday with Jonathan Urretaviscaya likely to get his first start since joining Rayados in the winter in the Colombian's absence.
Potential starting XI: H. Gonzalez; Medina, Montes, Basanta, Vangioni; J. Gonzalez, Ortiz; Urretaviscaya, A.Gonzalez, Pabon ; Funes Mori
| Position | Cruz Azul players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Corona, Allison |
| Defenders | Roco, Dominguez, Velazquez, Flores, Aldreta, Maduena, J. Silva |
| Midfielders | F. Silva, Salas, Montoya, Rodriguez, Cota, Baca, Pena |
| Forwards | Cauteruccio, Fierro, Mena, Mendez, Zuniga |
Carlos "Gullit" Pena will miss this contest and the next two to three weeks after suffering an ankle sprain in Cruz Azul's 2-0 loss to Necaxa on Saturday.
Aside from Pena's absence, manager Pedro Caixinha has a full squad to choose from with Rafael Baca returning from suspension a one-match red card suspension. Edgar Mendez can make his Liga MX return after serving a six-match suspension for spitting at an opponent during last season's playoffs.
Potential starting XI: Corona; Flores, Velasquez, Roco, Dominguez; Baca, Salas; Mena, Montoya, Cauteruccio; Mora
GAME PREVIEW
Monterrey and Cruz Azul kick off the "double week" with a Wednesday night contest at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer.
Rayados lost Aviles Hurtado to an early red card Sunday and suffered their first loss of the season. Now, they'll need to beat Cruz Azul without Hurtado as he serves his suspension.
Luckily for fans in La Sultana del Norte, Monterrey is one of the deepest teams in the league and can bring Jonathan Urretaviscaya or Carlos Sanchez off the bench. Both those attackers would start at the majority of other teams but manager Antonio Mohamed has utilized the pair off the bench with Alfonso Gonzalez becoming a surprise starter and keeping his place.
Cruz Azul also lost last weekend, but it's far less of an anomaly for La Maquina. The defeat was their second in a row after starting the Pedro Caixinha era with three matches undefeated. Midfielder Carlos Pena was injured in the loss to Necaxa and didn't make the trip north but the manager has a few choices he can make about his starting XI.
Edgar Mendez's long suspension for spitting at an America player in the Apertura playoffs has been served and while the Spaniard lacks rhythm, he may be able to provide a bit of attacking spark Cruz Azul has been missing.
Monterrey hasn't lost at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer in the regular season since May 2017. Cruz Azul will need to play much better soccer than it did Saturday to have any chance to head home with three points.
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