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Game: Monterrey v Club Necaxa
Date: Sunday, May 12th, 2019
Time: 9:00 PM EDT, 8:00 PM CDT, 6:00 PM PDT
Venue: Estadio BBVA Bancomer
Television: United States -Fox Deportes; Mexico -Fox Sports 2 Cono Norte; Costa Rica & Central America- Fox Sports 2 Cono Norte; Argentina & South America: Fox Sports 2 Cono Sur
Streaming: fuboTV (Free trial + monthly subscription), Sling TV (Free trial + monthly subscription), United States: Fox Sports Go; Mexico: Fox Play Norte; Argentina & South America: Fox Play Sur
Check Livesoccertv for more information.
.@Rayados quiere avanzar a semifinales y buscará la victoria en casa frente a @ClubNecaxa con todo lo que tiene Disfruta MAÑANA de este partido, EN VIVO y en EXCLUSIVA, por la pantalla de @FOXDeportes #FOXLigaMX pic.twitter.com/XjS1t5DIWV
— FOX Deportes (@FOXDeportes) May 12, 2019
Monterrey host Necaxa in the weekend’s final Liguilla match, with the visitors hoping for a big upset, as they head into the match up a goal and will be looking to leave Monterrey with a win or draw that will send them on to the next round.
On the other hand, the weight of expectations will be heavy on Monterrey, as they are expected to go through Necaxa, who already sold their best player this season to Portland Timbers of MLS before the Liguilla even started.
#Rayados Ángel Zaldívar va mañana de titular en lugar de Rogelio Funes Mori, que se lesionó en la Ida ante @ClubNecaxa
— Adrián Maldonado (@Adrian_MQ) May 11, 2019
➡️ https://t.co/NpfLlKTN3bpic.twitter.com/yTyb5SGyce
Monterrey will be missing at least one of their star players, as Avilés Hurtado will miss the match because of the red card he got in the first leg of the quarterfinal, and it’s also being reported that Rogelio Funes Mori will also miss the second leg with an injury.
Funes Mori missing out will be a huge blow to Monterrey, as this team plays incredibly different with him on the pitch. When Funes Mori plays, the team just seems more confident and wins with ease over most opponents. With him out of the lineup, it’s usually a disaster. Even when Funes Mori hasn’t started during the season, he’s often had to come off the bench to try and bail out the team late in the match, with limited success.
One of Adam Bareiro or Dorlan Pabón will have to lead the line in Funes Mori’s absence, and it’s time for Maxi Meza or Rodolfo Pizarro to prove they were worth all the fuss and the transfer fees that Monterrey shelled out for them. Pizarro has been a lot better in the Clausura than he was in the Apertura, especially in the Concacaf Champions League, so perhaps it’s time for someone not named Funes Mori to do the heavy lifting?
For those fans who might not be up to date with the Liga MX tiebreakers in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
— Cesar Hernandez (@cesarhfutbol) May 12, 2019
Tiebreaker #1: Away goals
Tiebreaker #2: Positioning in league table. #LigaMXeng
Either way, expect Los Rayados to come out strong in the first fifteen minutes or so, looking for an early goal and level the contest. Just as a reminder, the match won’t go to penalties or extra time the teams are level, as Monterrey has the advantage by being the higher seed. What is does however mean, is that an early goal by Necaxa could result in panic on the Monterrey bench, although the UEFA Champions League results from this past week would give just about anyone hope until the final whistle.
So will Monterrey get it done at home and advance? Or will Necaxa be able to pull off the upset? Let us know what you think in the comments!