Puebla return to Estadio Cuauhtemoc on Friday for their second-to-last match of the Apertura, still fighting to stay off the league basement.
It's been a rough campaign for La Franja, just two wins from 15 outings, and they'll need all three points here to avoid closing the season in last place.
Cruz Azul, meanwhile, arrive with a very different storyline. La Maquina are sitting third, only a single point behind table-toppers Toluca, and still very much in the hunt for the No. 1 seed heading into the postseason.
Despite their struggles, Puebla have shown some bite of late, losing just once in their last three. Their most recent outing turned into a wild shootout, ending 4-4 against Juarez, highlighted by a brace and dramatic stoppage-time equalizer from Luis Rey, who almost dragged his team over the line by himself.
Cruz Azul come in with momentum of their own, unbeaten through four league matches this month and stacking up two wins in that stretch. Their last match was a composed 2-0 victory over Monterrey, with Jesus Orozco breaking the scoring deadlock just before halftime and Angel Sepulveda sealing the result deep into stoppage time.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
How to watch Puebla vs Cruz Azul online - TV channels & live streams
 | DirecTV Stream | Watch here |
 | ViX | Watch here |
The match will be shown live on DirecTV and ViX in the US. Live updates can be found here on GOAL.
How to watch anywhere with VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.
Puebla vs Cruz Azul kick-off time
The match will be played at the Estadio Cuahutehmoc on Friday, October 31, with kick-off at 11:05 pm ET or 8:05 pm PT for fans in the US.
Team news & squads
Puebla vs Cruz Azul lineups
5-4-1
Formation
3-4-2-1
CRUPUE-Line up
PUESubstitutes
Manager
H. Cristante
CRU-Line up
CRUSubstitutes
Manager
N. Larcamon
Injuries and Suspended players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Puebla team news
Puebla remain short-handed heading into the weekend. Juan Manuel Fedorco is still on the shelf with an ankle issue and isn't expected back just yet. Meanwhile, Lucas Cavallini continues his long road to recovery from a cruciate ligament tear, with his return timetable pushed out until late March 2026 at the earliest.
Cruz Azul team news
Cruz Azul have their own absences to manage. Gonzalo Piovi is dealing with a fibula fracture and remains unavailable as he rehabs. Joining him on the long-term list is Andres Montano, who is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury and isn't projected to rejoin the squad until late January 2026.
Form
PUE-Form
PUEFC Juarez
4
-
4
Puebla
D
CF America
2
-
1
Puebla
L
Puebla
4
-
3
Tijuana
W
Queretaro FC
3
-
1
Puebla
L
Puebla
0
-
2
CD Guadalajara
L
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 10/14
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 4/5
- Both teams scored
- 4/5
CRU-Form
CRUCruz Azul
2
-
0
Monterrey
W
Necaxa
1
-
1
Cruz Azul
D
Cruz Azul
2
-
1
CF America
W
Tigres
1
-
1
Cruz Azul
D
Tijuana
2
-
0
Cruz Azul
L
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 6/5
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 1/5
- Both teams scored
- 3/5
Head-to-Head Record
PUELast 5 matches
CRU1
Win
1
Draw
3
Wins
Goals scored
8- Games over 2.5 goals
- 3/5
- Both teams scored
- 4/5