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It will be an all-Mexican affair in the first semifinal of the CONCACAF Champions League, with Monterrey hosting Cruz Azul at Estadio BBVA Bancomer on Thursday.
The home side come into this clash on the back of a 1-1 draw with Mazatlan FC in the Liga MX on Saturday. Nestor Vidrio and Arturo Gonzalez both scored in first-half injury time to share the points.
Cruz Azul picked up a narrow 2-1 away victory over Necaxa on the same day. Santiago Gimenez stepped off the bench to score a second-half winner after Fabricio Formiliano's first-half own goal had put the visitors ahead.
Monterrey saw off Columbus Crew with a 5-2 victory in the quarterfinal to progress to this stage. Cruz Azul were 4-1 aggregate victors over Toronto FC in the last eight.
A place in the final against either Philadelphia Union or fellow Mexicans Club America await the winners of this tie.
Monterrey vs Cruz Azul Head-to-Head
Cruz Azul have 20 wins from their last 47 games against Monterrey. Monterrey were victorious on 11 occasions, while 16 previous games ended in draws.
Their most recent meeting came in a league fixture in March when a first-half strike by Roberto Alvarado was enough to give Cruz Azul a 1-0 home win.
The hosts are currently on a seven-game unbeaten run, although four games in this sequence ended in draws. Cruz Azul have lost just one of their last 10 games.
Monterrey form guide: D-W-D-W-W
Cruz Azul form guide: W-D-L-W-W
Monterrey vs Cruz Azul Team News
Monterrey
There are no known injuries or suspension worries for Los Albiazules. The club's Olympic contingent, including Cesar Montes and Carlos Rodriguez, have been given extended breaks.
Injuries: None
Suspension: None
Cruz Azul
Goalkeeper Jesus Corona is the only fitness concern for the visitors as he has suffered a fractured toe. Luis Romo and Roberto Alvarado were among those who disputed the Olympic Games for Mexico and might not be part of the traveling party.
Injury: Jesus Corona
Suspension: None
Monterrey vs Cruz Azul Predicted XI
Monterrey Predicted XI (5-3-2): Luis Cardenas (GK); Jesus Gallardo, Sebastian Vegas, John Medina, Edson Gutierrez, Miguel Layun; Arturo Gonzalez, Celso Ortiz, Rogelio Funes; Vincent Janseen, Maximiliano Meza
Cruz Azul Predicted XI (4-4-2): Sebastian Jurado (GK); Ignacio Rivero, Julio Dominguez, Pablo Aguilar, Juan Escobar; Rafael Baca, Jonathan Rodriguez, Yoshimar Yotun, Walter Montoya; Bryan Angulo, Santiago Gimenez
Monterrey vs Cruz Azul Prediction
The home side are slight favorites in this game but Cruz Azul have enough quality to get something away from home.
The high stakes in the game mean that both teams will be more cautious in their approach but home advantage could count in Monterrey's favor. However, Cruz Azul's history and pedigree could also prove to be an important factor.
Ultimately, we are predicting a share of the spoils with goals to be scored at both ends.
Prediction: Monterrey 1-1 Cruz Azul
