Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Liga MX Apertura match.
Atlético San Luis caused an upset in the opening round of the Apertura by defeating Club León. In contrast, Monterrey turned in a disappointing display and suffered a heavy loss. However, they are expected to have corrected their early mistakes and will likely adopt a more assertive approach in this fixture.
Atlético San Luis
Atlético San Luis finished 15th in the Clausura, struggling particularly at the back with 33 goals conceded in 17 matches—ranking third-worst in the league for defensive performance. Nevertheless, they kicked off the Apertura campaign with a strong showing. The squad secured a win over Club León and impressed going forward, generating 1.43 xG. Even in recent encounters with Monterrey, Atlético San Luis have consistently posed an attacking threat, scoring in each of their last nine meetings. The current squad features reliable attacking options, including Sébastien Salles-Lamonge, who scored six goals during the Clausura, and João Pedro (not to be confused with the Brazilian forward at Chelsea), who previously played for Fenerbahçe and Hull City.
Monterrey
Monterrey opened their Apertura campaign with a 0:3 defeat to Pachuca. That result, however, can be attributed to fatigue following their involvement in the Club World Cup, where they progressed to the knockout round. Overall, their recent form remains encouraging—they placed seventh in the Clausura and were eliminated in the play-offs by eventual champions Deportivo Toluca. The squad showed strong attacking credentials, scoring 32 goals across 17 matches, the fourth-highest total in the league. The Monterrey lineup includes several former Sevilla FC players—Óliver Torres, Jesús Corona, and Lucas Ocampos—along with the experienced Sergio Ramos, who continues to be a major aerial threat during set-pieces.
Atlético San Luis vs Monterrey Prediction
Both teams favour an attacking style and boast players capable of making an impact in front of goal. With both sides likely to push forward throughout the match, goals at both ends appear highly probable.
