Defending champion Club America to host Pachuca in Mexican soccer

Club America, who won the 2018-2019 Mexican soccer season’s Apertura title, will look to record their second straight win in the Clausura championship when they host Pachuca here Saturday night.

America (three points) were not in action in Matchday 1, but they kicked off their Clausura campaign with a road victory last Friday in Matchday 2 over Atlas and will try to improve to 2-0-0 when they face the Tuzos at Estadio Azteca.

Pachuca (three points) are 1-0-1 after a humiliating 5-0 loss to Monterrey in the first round and a 3-0 victory over Queretaro in Matchday 2.

The visitors are expected to try to use their strong defense as a springboard for counter-attacks against a potent America side, who won a record 13th Liga MX title in December with a 2-0 aggregate victory over fellow Mexico City club Cruz Azul in the final.

Matchday 3 of 17 of the Clausura will kick off on Friday night when Morelia (zero points) host lowly Veracruz (one point), who are last in the Mexican league’s complicated relegation table, and Puebla (one point) square off at home against Santos Laguna (three points).

Tigres UANL (four points), winners of three of the last nine Liga MX championships, on Saturday night will host a Cruz Azul club (one point) that are still seeking their first Clausura victory.

On Sunday evening, first-placed Toluca (six points and a +4 goal differential) will play on the road against Guadalajara (six points) in a clash of two of the three remaining teams with perfect 2-0-0 records.

The other side looking to win their third straight game at the start of the Clausura are Lobos BUAP (six points), who will host Necaxa (three points) late Sunday afternoon.