MEXICO CITY, Mexico – A coveted place in the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Final will be at stake on Tuesday when Cruz Azul face Pumas in the second leg of their 2022 SCCL semifinal at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Pumas head into the encounter with the advantage, as they got a pair of goals from Juan Dinenno to earn a 2-1 victory in the first leg in front of the home fans.
But the lone away goal scored by Christian Tabo for Cruz Azul in the final 10 minutes just may prove pivotal, as a 1-0 win for La Maquina would be enough to send Cruz Azul to their first SCCL Final since the 2013-14 edition.
Cruz Azul would like nothing more than a repeat of their last SCCL semifinal second leg at home against Pumas when they broke out for a 5-0 win in the 2009-10 tournament. Cruz Azul also have a sterling home record in SCCL play that they can point to, with 41 wins to counter six defeats and eight draws.
Yet Pumas also boast a solid away record in SCCL competition, having collected eight wins and 10 draws out of 35 games.
In the end, it will all come down to the players, and for the visitors, it all starts with Dinenno, who leads the 2022 SCCL in scoring with seven goals. Joining the fray in attack are key pieces like fullback Alan Mozo and FW Rogerio, who scored over the weekend in Liga MX play.
Cruz Azul have the pieces in place as well to punch their ticket to the Final. Tabo and FW Ivan Morales came off the bench to team up for the goal last week, while Uriel Antuna is a nightmare to try to keep under wraps for opposing defenses, with two goals scored and three shots last week.
If Tuesday’s return leg is as exhilarating as last week’s first leg, fans and neutrals alike can expect another entertaining 90 minutes between these two sides.
Match Official:
Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
A1 Caleb Wales (TRI) A2 Henri Pupiro (NCA)
4th Official: Walter López (GUA)
VAR: Drew Fischer (CAN)
AVAR: Selvin Brown (HON
Statistics, data between Cruz Azul vs. Pumas UNAM
