Tigres and Monterrey Head into Second Leg of Liga MX Semifinal All Tied Up
The Liga MX semifinal series between Tigres and Monterrey is all tied up after the first leg ended in a 1-1 draw. The second leg will take place on Saturday, and both teams will be looking to secure a spot in the final.
Monterrey’s Maxi Meza put the visitors ahead in the 35th minute with a long free kick that caught Tigres goalie Nahuel Guzmán off guard. However, Tigres’ Sebastián Córdova answered back just five minutes into the second half, redirecting a Javier Aquino cross. Córdova has now scored in all four of Tigres’ playoff games this season.
Despite dominating possession in the first half, Tigres only managed two shots, one of which was on target. Monterrey was content to play the long ball and create transition offense, but Tigres defenders took advantage of physical play and roughed up Rayados players trying to move forward.
As the clock wound down, both teams chased the go-ahead goal, but the game ended in a draw. Saturday’s match will feature plenty of walking wounded, and the team that advances will likely have their physicality to thank.
Overall, this was a rough-and-tumble match that saw seven yellow cards and 30 fouls. Referee Fernando Guerrero was permissive, allowing both teams to clutch and grab and lean into clattering tackles.
Keywords: Liga MX, Tigres, Monterrey, semifinal, draw, Maxi Meza, Sebastián Córdova, physical play, yellow cards, referee.