Santiago Trigos got a red card in the second half, and it was a big deal because Jesús Angulo from Los Auriazules scored the only goal in Monterrey.
Santiago Trigos’ second-half sending-off proved crucial as Los Auriazules Jesús Angulo struck the only goal in Monterrey.
Jesús Angulo scored the only goal in Monterrey as Tigres beat Pumas in the Liga MX Apertura 2023 semi-final first leg. This win is a significant move for Tigres as they are now closer to reaching a second consecutive final.
In the first half, Tigres hit the goalpost two times in a back-and-forth game.
At the beginning, Los Universitarios had a good start. Eduardo Salvio tried to score with a header from a free kick, but it went just wide. They were eager to score early. Unfortunately, the game’s momentum shifted when Jesús Rivas, a full-back, got injured early on. This disruption affected Pumas’ rhythm and allowed the opposing team to gain control of the game.
𝗦𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘃𝘂𝗿𝗮 𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘇 𝘆 𝘀𝘂 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗿… pic.twitter.com/cDwho7yJe4
— Club Tigres 🐯 (@TigresOficial) December 8, 2023
In the middle of the first half, Nicolás Ibáñez, who came in for the injured André Pierre-Gignac, skillfully kicked the ball with a mid-air volley from Fernando Gorriarán’s pass. Unfortunately, the ball hit the outside of the goalpost. This happened after Tigres had started to get comfortable in the game.
Nahuel Guzmán made a fantastic save to block Ulises Rivas’ shot at an angle. He also stopped Eduardo Salvio’s second attempt from outside the box. Despite these efforts, the visitors had the best chance to score before halftime. Julio González, the goalkeeper, made an even more impressive save to stop Nicolás Ibáñez’s header from a corner. Then, Sebastián Córdova hit the rebound against the goalpost.
Trigos getting a red card gives the advantage to the winners of Clausura 2023
Pumas started the second half stronger, but they faced a significant setback just after the one-hour mark. Santiago Trigos got a red card for making a high challenge on Rafael Carioca. Initially, the referee had given Trigos a yellow card, but after checking with VAR, it was upgraded to a red card for the young midfielder.
☺️ @jesusau98 🫂 @Cordovar97 https://t.co/ImZGWzOjsG pic.twitter.com/JvqbF6qQ2m
— Club Tigres 🐯 (@TigresOficial) December 8, 2023
Antonio Mohamed’s team had a tough time from that point, and Tigres, who was patient, took advantage of having more players. With a bit more than 15 minutes left, Angulo kicked the ball well from far away, and it went past the goalkeeper González, who might be sad he didn’t stop it.
What does Pumas need to do to get into the Liga MX Apertura 2023 final?
With Robert Siboldi’s team in control and content with their lead for the upcoming second leg on Sunday, they played it safe in the final moments. They kept the ball for extended periods to keep their opponents from getting too close. For Pumas to reach the final, they need to win by two goals at Estadio Universitario, where Tigres hasn’t lost since April 8th.
