The last-place team returns home, seeking at all costs to leave that dishonorable position and add their first points of the tournament.

The Atlas players have lost their four games, they have already changed coaches, the captain is constantly injured, and their reinforcements are not getting into form. The only good news in the first few rounds for the Atlas players is that Veracruz is making an effort to be relegated. The Zorros have lost against Leon, Pumas, Toluca, and America, four defeats where the team looked good at times, but had no reward. The only game where they were clearly surpassed was against the Toluca Scarlets, as it was a game where the State of Mexico team dominated the entire match.

For this match, Romano, who arrived as coach for the rest of the season, will continue to bet on his five defenders, three midfielders, and two forwards. The problem is that some players are far from their best football form and have let down the Zorros fans.

After four games, only three players are performing well: Bryan Garnica, Milton Caraglio, and Ravel Morrison. These three players have shown a different attitude compared to the rest of the squad, but having three players in good form is not enough for the team to win matches. It is urgent that players like Leiton Jiménez, Stiven Barreiro, Luis Reyes, and also the reinforcements who arrived for this season step up. So far, neither Alexi Gómez nor Ángelo Henríquez have shown anything or justified why they were signed. Both players should already be acclimated to the Mexican climate and provide weapons to Romano to earn their first points this Friday at the Jalisco Stadium.

There is little to say about La Máquina Celeste. It is a team that relies on the speed of its players. They beat Chivas as visitors, but then León outplayed them at home, although they were lucky to draw without goals.

The goalscorer for the Cementeros is Felipe Mora, who has scored three goals. Rafael Baca scored the other goal. If Atlas nullifies Mora, they will have part of the job done, but they must also keep an eye on players like Carlos Fierro, who uses his speed to cause damage, while Walter Montoya, with his skill and changes of pace, can generate danger for the opposing defenders.

The two teams are experiencing different realities. The Celestes already know what it's like to win, while the Atlas players are still without any points in the tournament so far.

SRN