Club Tijuana vs Leon Predictions, Odds, Picks
Club Tijuana vs Leon Predictions
Neither of these sides is in the best form heading into this tie, but there’s a big difference in quality between Club Tijuana and Leon. Leon are vying for second place in the league table with two league games to go, and Club Tijuana are languishing in 15th place with the playoffs out of sight.
Club Tijuana are the home side, so that should count for something against an out-of-form Leon side, but Leon are clearly the better side. Interestingly, the odds have Club Tijuana as the favorites, even though Leon have been the far superior side in the league this season.
The bookmakers seem to have overestimated Club Tijuana’s ability based on the result from their last match and home advantage. Leon haven’t won a game in their last three matches in all competitions, but they faced some difficult opponents in those games.
Leon would’ve been a safe and boring pick if this match had occurred two weeks back. Picking Leon should be a no-brainer now because it isn’t often that the considerably better side has the more rewarding odds.
Club Tijuana have got the edge when it comes to head-to-head records. They’ve won 12, lost 11, and drawn five of the 28 matches between the two sides. The matches have been full of goals, with Club Tijuana scoring 47 and Leon scoring 38 in the 28 matches.
The last two matches between the sides have ended in draws. The last league meeting between the two sides had a lot of late drama and ended 2-2. Leon dominated the first-half but lacked a clinical edge to their game. They opened the scoring in the 51st minute thanks to Lucas Di Yorio but couldn’t hold onto the lead for long. Lucas Rodriguez leveled the scores in the 67th minute before Renato Ibarra looked like he had got all three points for Leon two minutes into stoppage time.
However, Leon didn’t lose their heads and got an equalizer three minutes later to end the tie 2-2. Leon had 57% of the possession and took 17 shots to Club Tijuana’s six. Their finishing was a problem earlier in the season as well. They have to be wary of this heading into the playoffs.
Club Tijuana End Six-Game Run Without Win
Two penalties helped Club Tijuana record their first league win in seven games against Mazatlan. Mazatlan are last on the league table, but that won’t matter to Club Tijuana, who needed a breather after a disappointing season; a win is a win.
Club Tijuana won 2-1, with Alexis Canelo scoring their goals from the spot. The first came in the 14th minute and the second in the 81st minute. Maztalan’s only goal was an owl goal from Jair Diaz in the 25th minute. There wasn’t a lot of quality on show in this game, and the performances from the two sides demonstrated why neither side will make it to the playoffs this season.
Mazatlan, surprisingly, had 58% of the possession. Both sides took 14 shots each, Mazatlan hitting four on target and Club Tijuana hitting five.
Playing for Pride
With Club Tijuana’s season essentially over, it’s time for the club to reflect on what went wrong this season. The six-game run without a win was a significant factor; they didn’t turn up during the business end of the league season.
Another problem was goalscoring. Club Tijuana scored just 17 goals and didn’t have the defensive record to mask the weaknesses up top. They’ve conceded 24 goals in the campaign so far, which isn’t as bad as some other teams, but it can be concluded that they didn’t really excel in any department.
The lack of attacking prowess felt like a bigger issue this season, and if you believe in the ‘attack is the best form of defense’ mantra, they should become a more solid defensive side if they start games on the front foot. Leon have been one of the best defensive sides in the league this season, so it’s hard to see Club Tijuana score a goal or two in this game, but it’ll give them a good idea of what they need to work on for next season.
Leon Suffer Another Blow in 2-0 Loss to Guadalajara
This was one of last week's most highly anticipated games, with both Leon and Guadalajara in good form this season.
The first-half was tetchy, with both sides struggling to find their rhythm. Guadalajara opened the scoring in the 59th minute, thanks to Pavel Perez before Fernando Pineda found the back of the net to make it 2-0 in the 73rd minute and confirm the three points.
Leon’s lack of threat going forward was a great concern. They had 55% of the possession but took just 12 shots to Guadalajara’s 14. They also looked more exposed at the back than usual and suffered the consequences for the same. The most concerning aspect of Leon’s performance was that they looked out of ideas once they went a goal down.
Leon’s Recent Form is Concerning
Things were looking on the up for Leon not too long ago. A 5-0 first-leg quarterfinal victory against Violette in the CONCACAF Champions League was preceded by some impressive league performances against Santos Laguna, Mazatlan, and Club America.
However, things have soured recently. It looked like Leon were well-placed to finish the league in second place just a few weeks ago, but now a top-five or six finish will be considered impressive. Of course, the CONCACAF Champions League has taken some of their focus away from the league, but they can’t switch off like this if they want to win the big prizes.
They have a very winnable fixture against Club Tijuana next. They need to earn all three points in this match so that they’re prepared in the best possible way for the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals and the Liga MX playoffs. Anything less than three points will constitute a mini-crisis in the most important part of the season.
