Cruz Azul vs Mazatlan Prediction and Betting Tips | July 12th 2025

CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Cruz Azul get their 2025-26 Mexican Liga MX Apertura campaign underway when they welcome Mazatlan to the Estadio Olímpico Universitario on Saturday. This will be the second meeting between the two teams within the space of six days after Victor Vucetich’s side picked up a 2-1 victory in their pre-season friendly clash.

Cruz Azul enjoyed a memorable 2024-25 campaign as they stormed to the CONCACAF Champions Cup courtesy of an emphatic 5-0 victory over MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps in the final on June 2.

Nicolas Larcamon’s men also reached the semi-finals of the Liga MX Clausura playoffs before crashing out at the hands of Club America.

Cruz Azul head into the new campaign off the back of an underwhelming run of results in pre-season, where they lost four of their five warm-up games, with a 1-0 win over Colombian outfit Once Caldas being the exception.

Mazatlan, on the other hand, will be looking to improve on their performance from last season's Clausura, where they finished 16th in the table, only above Santos and Puebla.

Vucetich’s side lost eight of their 17 matches in the second half of the table while claiming four wins and five draws to finish with 17 points, four points off the final playoff spot.

Mazatlan were involved in two warm-up games in pre-season, seeing off Newell’s Old Boys 1-0 on July 4, three days before edging out Cruz Azul in the first of their two consecutive friendly-and-league meetings.

Cruz Azul vs Mazatlan Head-To-Head and Key Numbers

• With five wins from the last 11 meetings between the sides, Cruz Azul boast a superior record in the history of this fixture.
• Mazatlan have picked up just two wins in that time, while the spoils have been shared on four occasions.
• Cruz Azul are unbeaten in their 15 competitive home games in 2025, picking up 12 wins and three draws since the turn of the year.
• Mazatlan are on a run of six consecutive Liga MX away games without victory, losing five and claiming one draw since January’s 1-0 victory over Puebla.

Cruz Azul vs Mazatlan Prediction

Cruz Azul will look to put their disappointing pre-season campaign behind them and get the new league term off on the front foot. Larcamon’s men have been near impenetrable at home this year and we are backing them to see off Mazatlan, who have struggled for results on their travels.

Prediction: Cruz Azul 3-1 Mazatlan

Cruz Azul vs Mazatlan Betting Tips

Tip 1: Result - Cruz Azul to win

Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals - Yes (There have been at least three goals scored in five of the last seven meetings between the two teams)

Tip 3: Both sides to score - Yes (Both sides have also scored in six of their last seven encounters)

Edited by Peter P