The pressure is on the home side to start strong after finishing bottom of the Clausura table last term
The new Liga MX campaign is underway and last season’s Clausura runners-up Santos Laguna will commence with an away game against Necaxa.
Watch Necaxa vs Santos Laguna on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)
Necaxa finished bottom of the table in the Clausura last season, having won just two games and will be determined to get off to a good start in the Apertura this time around.
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Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.
TV channel, live stream & how to watch
In the United States (US), Liga MX matches can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
Team news & rosters
| Position | Necaxa roster |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Malagon, Hernandez |
| Defenders | Meza, Oliveros, Quintana, Dominguez, Sandoval, Julio Gonzalez, Hernandez |
| Midfielders | Garcia, Jonathan Gonzalez, Fernando Gonzalez, Arce, Poggi |
| Forwards | Escoboza, Carvallo, Palma, Sepulveda, Medina, Quiroga, Salas, Garcia, Aguirre, Bareiro |
Necaxa have added several new faces to their team ahead of the new campaign, while a few senior players moved on over the summer.
Free signing Angel Sepulveda could be called on to line up on the right wing and fellow new boy Vicente Poggi could be drafted in at the base of midfield.
Coach Guillermo Vazquez could maintain trust in Rodrigo Aguirre and Maximiliano Salas up front, though free transfer Luis Arcadio Garcia or Pachuca-loaned Mauro Quiroga could be given a chance.
Predicted starting XI: Hernandez, Julio Gonzalez, Meza, Quintana, Dominguez, Fernando Gonzalez, Poggi, Sepulveda, Zendejas, Aguirre, Salas.
| Position | Santos Laguna roster |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Acevedo, Lajud, Garcia |
| Defenders | Doria, Torres, Rodriguez, Andrade, Govea, Diaz |
| Midfielders | Rivas, Gorriaran, Cervantes, Prieto, Valdes, Avila, |
| Forwards | Lozano, Preciado, Ibarguen, Otero, Isijara, Orrantia, Jeraldino, Aguirre, Ocejo |
The 2021 Clausura runners-up are eager to get the new campaign off to a good start.
They are aiming for a top-four finish in the Apertura campaign and a place in the play-offs.
They will be without midfielder Alan Cervantes due to his role in Mexico’s Gold Cup campaign and Eduardo Alguirre is missing because he is competing in the Olympics.
Ayrton Preciado will not be playing either as he has been given time to recover from playing in the Copa America with Ecuador.
Predicted starting XI: Acevedo, Govea, Torres, Doria, Andrade, Rivas, Gorriaran, Valdes, Otero, Ibarguen, Jeraldino
Last five results
| Necaxa results | Santos Laguna results |
|---|---|
| Leon 0-3 Necaxa | Santos Laguna 2-1 Tepatitlan |
| Necaxa 8-1 Mineros de Zacateca | Santos Laguna 4-4 Tampico Madero |
| Necaxa 1-5 Atlas | Cruz Azul 1-1 Santos Laguna |
| Tijuana 1-0 Necaxa | Santos Laguna 0-1 Cruz Azul |
| Necaxa 0-0 Queretaro | Puebla 1-0 Santos Laguna |
Head-to-head
| Date | Results |
|---|---|
| 3/8/2021 | Santos Laguna 3-1 Necaxa |
| 8/22/2020 | Necaxa 2-1 Santos Laguna |
| 3/16/2020 | Santos Laguna 2-1 Necaxa |
| 8/19/2019 | Necaxa 3-0 Santos Laguna |
| 3/18/2019 | Santos Laguna 1-2 Necaxa |