First-place Cruz Azul eyes win over Lobos BUAP in Mexican soccer

Cruz Azul will look to remain in first place in the Mexican soccer league’s Apertura 2018 championship when it hosts Lobos BUAP on Saturday at Estadio Azteca.

The Mexico City club (30 points), which has a record of seven wins and one draw at home, appears to have the clear edge on paper against a 14th-place rival with just one victory on the road this season.

Cruz Azul has a slim lead over second-place Club America (29 points) and third-place Santos Laguna (28 points), who will square off in a much-anticipated late-season clash on Sunday.

Matchday 16, the penultimate round of the Apertura’s regular season, will kick off on Friday night with two matches: 10th-place Queretaro versus last-place Veracruz and 17th-place Atlas against eight-place Pachuca.

Four other matches are on tap for Saturday: Leon-Guadalajara, Tigres UANL-Puebla, Necaxa-Monterrey and Tijuana-Morelia.

Besides the Santos Laguna-America showdown, Sunday also will feature a key clash pitting fourth-place Pumas UNAM against fifth-place Toluca, both of whom have 26 points.

The Apertura regular season ends on Nov. 25.

Eight teams will qualify for the playoffs, which is scheduled to kick off on Nov. 28.