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Tigres returns to Monterrey to face Leon in the second leg after getting a 1-1 away tie. Tigres will be heavily favored but it will not be easy as was shown in the first leg. While Tigres was the better side, Leon gave them a test and they needed to come back and tie with an Eduardo Vargas goal. Leon will need to give a legendary performance to turn things around in one of the toughest stadiums in Liga MX, against one of the most talented squads, if not the most talented.
Tigres was the favorite coming in to the series and they partially lived up to that expectations in the first leg. Tigres were the better side and had control of the game but didn't do much offensively in the first half. Leon rose up to the occasion in the second period were able to look more effective. It all lead to them taking the lead with a Mauro Boselli goal.
Tigres was quick to respond with a great Andre Pierre Gignac shot that hit the crossbar and eventually tied things up with an Eduardo Vargas long range shot. They were still able to gain control of the game but didn't really pressure things. Much in typical style of their coach Ricardo Ferretti, they were conservative and preferred to gain control of the game than to take the lead.
Tigres will now look to finish things off in Monterrey. Leon, though, will have nothing to lose and might hurt a Tigres team that looked better than they did against Monterrey but still are far from their best. Players like Gignac and Ismael Sosa will need to improve but Leon will have a bigger challenge if Luis Montes can't play (he missed the first leg with injury). While Elias Hernandez and Boselli kept their level of play, Leon was very weak offensively, especially for a team at home in the first leg. For Leon to progress, they need to score goals and even a a draw by more than one goal would qualify them to the semifinals.
If Tigres plays to their potential, they should be able to get through, but Leon can be a dangerous rival, especially if the regiomontanos open up and leave spaces for the attack. Ferretti is famous for being conservative and will no doubt be prepared for Tigres not to go all out. It seems Leon will try for the surprise but not getting a win at home might cost them the opportunity.
Date: Saturday, November 25
Time: 5:00 PM Pacific, 7:00 PM Central, 8:00 PM Eastern
Venue: Estadio Universitario, San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico
Television: Univision (US-Spanish), Univision Deportes (US-Spanish), SKY Planeta Fútbol, TDN, Sky HD
Streaming: fuboTV (Free trial + monthly subscription)
Listings via LiveSoccerTV.com.