Preview: Club America vs Real Salt Lake - prediction, team news, lineups

Mexican side Club America will lock horns with Real Salt Lake this Wednesday in their opening fixture of the 2025 Leagues Cup at America First Field.

This year’s edition adopts a refreshed format, featuring 36 teams from Mexico and the United States’ top tiers, all vying for one of four quarter-final spots reserved for each league.

Match preview

Regardless of the new format, Club America will approach this tournament with familiar ambitions, as the Mexican heavyweights seek to extend their habit of reaching the knockout rounds.

Last season, the Eagles were handed a direct route to the Round of 32 for finishing top among Liga MX sides on aggregate points in the 2023 campaign, but their journey was cut short by Colorado Rapids in the quarter-finals.

This year’s format includes the top 18 teams from the 2024 Mexican top-flight season and a selection of clubs from last term’s MLS playoffs, with each side playing three opponents from the opposite league, and only the top four from each category’s overall standings advancing to the last eight.

While this structure introduces fresh twists, the rule of shootouts following a draw remains in the group stage, rewarding the winner with an additional bonus point after regulation-time stalemates.

America enter Wednesday’s clash with the weight of past disappointments still lingering, as each of their eliminations in this competition has come via penalty shootouts, a pattern Andre Jardine will be eager to break by sealing results within 90 minutes.

The Eagles’s group stage campaign continues against Minnesota United before wrapping up with a showdown against Portland Timbers, but they arrive in Utah without the best run of recent form to inspire confidence.

America are without a win in their last two matches, having first fallen 3-1 to Toluca in the Campeon de Campeones Cup before playing out a 1-1 draw away to Necaxa at the weekend – leaving them sixth in Liga MX after three matches (W1, D2).

Real Salt Lake, on the other hand, head into this tie with momentum on their side, having secured a 2-1 success over San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday, which made it five victories from their last seven MLS outings (D1, L1).

Pablo Mastroeni’s men currently sit eighth in the Western Conference, though they finished third in the regular season last term before falling at the first hurdle in the MLS Cup.

The Claret and Cobalt are out to avoid another early exit after finishing at the bottom of their group in the 2024 Leagues Cup, despite being level on three points with both of the other sides in their bracket.

After this opener, Salt Lake will take on Atletico San Luis on matchday two before closing out with a clash against Queretaro and will aim to lay the groundwork for qualification with a win in Wednesday’s opener.

Club America form (all competitions):

Real Salt Lake form (all competitions):

Team News

Aside from Santiago Naveda and Sebastian Caceres – both of whom face late fitness tests – Club America are expected to have a fully fit squad available for selection.

Raul Zuniga scored their only goal last time out and could be rewarded with another start up front, as Jardine looks to spark a more clinical showing in the final third.

Meanwhile, Salt Lake remain without Jamaican full-back Javian Brown, who is still nursing a knee injury and not expected back for several weeks.

Brown is joined on the sidelines by goalkeeping duo Zac MacMath and Mason Stajduhar, with both players ruled out until at least the middle of next month due to shoulder issues.

Brian Ojeda came off the bench to net the winner at the weekend and may have played his way into the starting XI as Salt Lake look to carry their attacking momentum into this continental tie.

Club America possible starting lineup:

Malagon; Borja, Juarez, Reyes, Alvarez; Fidalgo, Cervantes; Violante, Gutierrez, Davilla; Zuniga

Real Salt Lake possible starting lineup:

Cabral; Caliskan, Glad, Junqua, Hidalgo; Ojeda, Ruiz; Gozo, Luna, Goncalves; Piol

We say: Club America 2-1 Real Salt Lake

This first-ever meeting between the two clubs promises to be a tight contest, but with form and home advantage on their side, Real Salt Lake look poised to edge it in front of their own fans.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.