It’s time for the business end of the Leagues Cup to begin.
With the group stages put to rest, everyone is aware of what the paths to glory look like, and the straight knockout rounds begin in the Round of 32, where West 3 winners Club Léon come up against Real Salt Lake, who finished as runners-up in the West 2 group.
Jack Collins here from The Game Day to look at a matchup between two teams who can veer between the sublime and the ridiculous.
Real Salt Lake vs Club Léon Odds
Real Salt Lake vs Club Léon betting lines are current as of Tuesday, August 1, at 2 p.m. ET at bet365 Sportsbook.
- RSL (+140) • Tie (+240) • Léon (+187)
- Total Goals: Over 2.5 (-125) • Under 2.5 (+100)
- Both Teams To Score: Yes (-163) • No (+120)
Real Salt Lake vs Club Léon Match Prediction
Real Salt Lake 1:1 Club Léon
This Real Salt Lake team is a funny old beast. Fresh from hammering the Sounders 3-0 on the opening day of the Leagues Cup, RSL took a pasting of their own at the hands of Monterrey in the second game to ensure that they would only finish at best as runners-up in the West 2 group.
That loss represented an end to an unbeaten streak for RSL that stretched back to May and the end of the momentum that went along with that run. The two games were day and night in terms of the defending from the Cobalt and Blue, with lapses in concentration at fault for Monterrey’s two openers.
That said, there were glimpses of opportunity still. Chicho Arango fired one effort narrowly over the bar and had a header come back off the woodwork at 2-0 that would have completely changed the course of the game, and RSL had more efforts on target than their Mexican opponents across the 90 minutes.
Head coach Pablo Mastroeni spoke of the creative presence of his team and praised his team’s performance throughout the game while bemoaning the errors that had put RSL in a position where they had to fight their way back into things.
And given RSL’s clinical gameplay against the Sounders and the fact they kept a clean sheet despite playing over half an hour of the game with just 10 men, there are plenty of reasons for optimism as they come up against another Mexican opponent in the first knockout round.
Club Léon booked their spot as group winners after a win over LA Galaxy and a bonus-point penalty win following a 2-2 draw at the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Neither, in truth, was completely convincing for the CONCACAF Champions League winners, who had to fight from 2-1 down to salvage something at BC Place, and who edged the Galaxy in California.
But anyone who watched the CCL Final will know that Léon are comfortable in the small margins, trusting their defense to manage opposition teams and swarming forward to attack in numbers when given the right opportunities.
The switch of play which led to veteran Angel Mena’s solitary goal against the Galaxy was trademark La Fiera, and how they were able to bottle up Los Angeles, the opposition will bring back memories for those of a black-and-gold persuasion.
Léon may not be a team that pastes sides. Still, they’re incredibly good at managing games and working out how to disrupt their opposition’s game plan to impose their iron will upon the outcome of matches.
RSL can blow hot or cold, but on form, they remain one of the most challenging sides to bottle up in MLS this year, which means that this one has the potential to be an absolute belter for the neutral - two different tactical styles going blow for blow to secure a place in the Round of 16.
Real Salt Lake vs Club Léon Best Bet
Both Teams to Score: Yes (-163) • bet365 Sportsbook
RSL scored three against the Sounders and should have done far better with their opportunities against Monterrey. There were defensive lapses in that game, though, and Léon is a brilliant side in working out weaknesses and exploiting them fully.
