Mexico striker Javier Hernandez. (Photo : Getty Images)
Group A leaders Mexico (3-0-0, 9 points) and Canada (1-1-1, 4 points) face each other for the second and last time in the CONCACAF 2018 World Cup qualifiers group stage on Tuesday, March 29th at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
The two teams have completed their first meeting during the previous matchday of the said tournament with Mexico pulling off a convincing 3-0 victory over Canada at the BC Place in Vancouver, as reported by Goal.
Bayer Leverkusen striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez scored the opening goal of the contest via a header off a Miguel Layun cross at the 32nd minute after Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan saved four shots on goal in the first few minutes of the match.
Juan Carlos Osorio's boys doubled their lead eight minutes later with a bursting shot from 20-year-old left winger Hirving Lozano to reach the halftime break up 2-0.
The Canucks were unable to recover from the two-point deficit and a third goal by the reigning Gold Cup champions courtesy of a shot by FC Porto winger Jesus Corona at the 72nd minute sealed the win for Mexico.
It was a dominating performance for the 2015 CONCACAF Cup winners and they are heavily favored to defeat the head coach Benito Floro's men once again in this second meeting at El Tri's home field.
ESPN noted that despite Mexico's great game, it was the first time El Tri won a game in Canada "since 1993".
With the win, El Tri extended their winning run to three games and remained undefeated in the qualifiers. The team is comfortably on top of the Group A overall standings, five above second-placed Canada with nine points.
The top two teams from each group will advance in the Hex, which is the fifth round of qualifiers. The six teams will form a single group and go through a home-and-away round-robin format games with the top three teams qualifying in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The predicted result is a 4-0 romp for Mexico.
Mexico starting lineup (5-3-2 formation): Talavera; Reyes, Aguilar, Moreno, Layun, Marquez; Lozano, Herrera, Corona; Guardado, Hernandez
Canada starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Borjan; Jakovic, Henry, de Jong, Straith; de Guzman, Johnson, Hutchinson; Hoilett, Ricketts, Larin
