Liga MX Preview: Mazatlán FC vs. Santos Laguna – Battle of the Underperformers
Two struggling sides in the 2025 Apertura season, Mazatlán FC and Santos Laguna, are set to clash at Estadio El Encanto. Both teams are desperate for a victory to climb out of the lower half of the Liga MX standings and ignite their campaign.
Match Background & Qualification Scenarios
The Liga MX season is divided into two tournaments, Apertura and Clausura, each crowning its own champion. At the end of each tournament's regular phase, the top six teams directly qualify for the Liguilla (playoffs) quarterfinals, while teams ranked 7th to 10th enter a play-in round to determine the remaining playoff spots [7, 10, 19, 21, 22]. As of mid-October in the Apertura 2025 season, Mazatlán FC sits in 15th place with 11 points, while Santos Laguna is just behind in 16th with 10 points [31, 34]. This encounter is therefore critical for both sides, as they desperately need points to improve their league positions and push towards the play-in zone. Mazatlán FC will be looking to capitalize on their home advantage to secure a vital three points.
Recent Form
Mazatlán FC's recent form over their last five official matches has been mixed, with one win, two draws, and two losses [32, 34]. This includes a 2-1 home victory against Atlético San Luis but also a 1-3 away defeat to Toluca and a 1-4 home loss to UNAM Pumas [32]. Santos Laguna's recent performance has also been inconsistent, registering two wins and three losses in their last five outings [27, 34]. They secured a 2-0 win over Club León in their most recent match [27, 36, 44], but previously suffered 0-3 and 0-1 defeats against Club América and Monterrey, respectively [27, 38]. Both teams are clearly seeking to find more consistent form.
Key Players & Injury News
For Mazatlán FC, key players include Nicolás Benedetti, who is a top scorer and assist provider for the team [20, 29, 38, 41]. Forwards Fábio Gomes and midfielder Joaquín Esquivel are also vital offensive assets [20, 29, 46], while defender Lucas Merolla plays a crucial role at the back and also contributes assists [20, 29, 38]. In terms of injuries, Alberto Herrera has been out since March 28, 2025, with an unknown injury [14, 43]. Roberto Meraz is dealing with a knock injury, and Anderson Duarte is recovering from an ankle injury [14]. For Santos Laguna, attacking threats come from Cristian Dájome and Bruno Barticciotto [11, 38], with Jose Abella being a key assist provider [38]. Defender Kevin Balanta is currently sidelined with a muscle fiber tear [49].