Tigres Faces Uphill Battle in Quarterfinal Against Xolos

MONTERREY, Mexico — Tigres UANL must recover from a challenging 3-0 defeat to Club Tijuana in the first leg of their quarterfinal matchup in the Liga MX playoffs. The decisive second game will be played on Saturday at Estadio Universitario.

The team, led by coach Guido Pizarro, faces a daunting task. They need to win by three goals to tie the aggregate score and progress to the semifinals due to their higher placement in the regular-season standings.

Tigres was caught off guard by Tijuana, managed by Sebastián “Loco” Abreu, during the first match held in Tijuana. The last time Tigres found themselves in a similar situation was during the Apertura 2022 playoffs, when they also lost 3-0 in the first leg and lost further in the return match.

This record raises questions about Tigres’ ability to overcome significant deficits in short tournaments. Historical performances show that the team has struggled to come back from losing by three goals.

In past tournaments, Tigres successfully reversed smaller deficits, such as in the Clausura 2019 when they lost 1-0 in the first leg but won the return match to reach the finals.

That said, they have not succeeded against larger deficits. In the Apertura 2024, they drew 0-0 after a 3-0 first-leg loss and were eliminated.

Tigres now prepares intensively for the second leg of this critical quarterfinal, needing a strong performance to advance in the tournament.