Liguilla match preview: America vs Chivas

Chivas and America face each other for a ticket to the semifinals in another edition of the Superclasico, the biggest game in Mexican football. Chivas will come in with a 1-0 lead and the advantage of America not having an away goal, which means any goal by Chivas will make things very difficult for America. America though is favored and will be at home with the better squad, thus in prime position to turn things around.

Chivas will go to Estadio Azteca with the 1-0 advantage and with high spirits after beating America in the first leg, winning for the first time in an official match since 2017. The fact that America didn’t score an away goal will also be to their advantage, as a goal means that America will have to win by two goals. Yet Chivas will have to improve a lot after their performance in the first half left a lot to be desired. If goalkeeper Raul Gudiño hadn’t come up big, they would have probably lost the first leg. They also have a lot of trouble creating danger, and now there is a strong possibility that they will be without Jesus Ricardo Angulo who left the first leg with an injury. This adds to the list of injuries that includes Jose Juan Macias and Alexis Vega, although they received the good news that Vega was able to travel with the team and might be able to make the bench. Still Chivas will needs to be at their best to face an America team that will probably be a lot more dangerous.

If Chivas needs to improve, Club America needs to do so even more. While at times they dominated, a poor showing from Henry Martin as well as a great showing from Gudiño, meant that showing was wasted. Now America trails and without an away goal, and a Chivas goal will bring the pressure on them. While under coach Miguel Herrera they have had the upper hand over Chivas, they have suffered during the season with situations like this one. An although they had a more solid season than Chivas, it’s as defense where they have suffered the most since their best defender Bruno Valdez went out injured for six months. Thus they will need to step up on offense and at defense, if they hope to be able to turn things around.

While Club America will be favored coming into the game, Chivas will have as big an opportunity to turn things around in their recent history against America. Should Chivas attack well, and get over the hurdle of their injuries, they will be in a prime position to advance and yet America is expected to win, the question will be if a the win will be enough to get thru to the Semifinals.

Game: Club de Fútbol América S.A. de C.V. vs. Club Deportivo Guadalajara S.A. de C.V.

Date: Saturday, November 28th

Time: 10:06 p.m. Eastern, 9:06 p.m. Central, 7:06 p.m. Pacific, 3:06 a.m. UTC

Venue: Estadio Azteca (Tlalpan, CDMX)

Referees: REF: Jorge Antonio Pérez Durán, AR1: Alberto Morín Méndez, AR2: Miguel Ángel Hernández Paredes, 4TH: Eduardo Galvan Basulto, VAR: Erick Yair Miranda Galindo, AVAR: Fabrice Paul Plancon-jallet

Television: United States - TUDN, Univision; Mexico - TUDN, Las Estrellas, Affizionados; Canada - OneSoccer; Argentina - Las Estrellas; Brazil - DAZN; Spain - Footters

Streaming: fuboTV (Free trial + monthly subscription), TUDN En Vivo, OneSoccer (Free trial + monthly subscription)