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Pumas will look to bounce back from their recent struggles when they take on Lobos BUAP in a key home game in the Copa MX. Lobos BUAP sits on top of the group, but they might be more interested in focusing on the league, given their relegation trouble.
Pumas comes into this game having been the surprise team of the tournament in Liga MX, as last week they were sitting undefeated and in first place. In fact, their only loss in 2018 was in the Copa MX away to Lobos BUAP. On Wednesday, however, it all started to crash down when they lost at home to Veracruz 2-1. They then went on to face Tijuana on Saturday and had a nightmare game that finished with a 4-1 loss.
Pumas had been playing great all season, but those two performances were by far their worst of the season. The Copa MX game might be the perfect opportunity to bounce back before their Sunday game at home against Guadalajara. In addition, Pumas have no choice but to go for the win because a defeat will severely hurt their chances of going through to the next round. That said, It’s not clear which team Pumas will use. The Copa MX games had been strictly used to show mostly their bench and youth team players, although this time they have the bonus that first team player David Cabrera should play since he will miss the Chivas game through suspension.
For their part, Lobos BUAP will hope to continue their positive trend in Copa MX, but their number one propriety is the relegation battle in Liga MX. On Saturday, they will have their biggest game of the season when they play against direct rivals Veracruz. Pumas, though, is still expected to have a tough time against a spirited Lobos BUAP team. If the Universitarios decide to use the game to get out of their negative funk and send a team closer to their Liga MX team, they would have a big advantage. But if they decide to stick with their second string side, they might struggle again regardless of Lobos BUAP’s priorities.
Date: Wednesday, February 21st
Time: 6:30 PM Eastern, 8:30 PM Central, 9:30 PM Pacific
Venue: Estadio Olimpico Universitario (Mexico City, Mexico)
Television: Mexico - TDN