Cruz Azul - Atlas: Huiqui’s XI points to a semifinal path

Cruz Azul - Atlas reaches Saturday with Cruz Azul holding a 3-2 edge from the first leg at Estadio Jalisco, and that margin leaves Joel Huiqui’s side in control of the quarterfinal series. At Estadio Azteca, Cruz Azul can reach the semifinals with a win, a draw, or even a one-goal loss.

Joel Huiqui’s back line

Kevin Mier is expected in goal, with Jorge Rodarte at right back, Willer Ditta and Gonzalo Piovi in the middle, and Omar Campos on the left. That defensive setup is the clearest sign of how Cruz Azul is approaching the second leg: keep the structure, protect the lead, and avoid giving Atlas the kind of start that would shift the tie.

Rodarte’s place is one of the more notable details in the projected XI. He has played 11 matches this season, and the staff appears set to trust him again in a knockout match that gives Cruz Azul multiple ways to advance.

Estadio Jalisco to Estadio Azteca

The first leg finished 3-2 for Cruz Azul, a result that matters because the club does not need to chase the game on Saturday. Atlas has to overturn the deficit in the return match, while Cruz Azul only needs to manage the series long enough to preserve the margin that was built away from home.

Huiqui’s expected lineup suggests the priority is not a dramatic overhaul but continuity. Mier, Rodarte, Ditta, Piovi and Campos form the base of a group that already handled the opening leg well enough to take the advantage into Mexico City.

Semifinal place on the line

The practical road for Cruz Azul is simple. Any win sends it through. So does a draw. Even a one-goal defeat would still be enough to advance, which gives the team a wider path than Atlas heading into Saturday, May 9.

That leaves the second leg as a match about control rather than rescue. Cruz Azul has the lead, the venue, and a likely starting XI built to defend both.