Tigres UANL vs San Jose Earthquakes Odds, Betting Prediction, Picks

Tigres UANL vs San Jose Earthquakes Predictions

Tigres UANL lifted their eighth Liga MX title after beating Chivas Guadalajara in the Clausura playoff finals. The 2023-24 Apertura season has recently begun, and the club's title defense has not started extremely well. They are unbeaten but have drawn two of the three domestic league games. The only win came just before the start of the Leagues Cup. Their journey in this competition has also started with a win as Tigres UANL extended their unbeaten streak.

San Jose Earthquakes are ranked sixth in the Western Conference of the MLS. They were struggling in the league as it approached the mid-season break. The club was winless in five games before getting a crucial 2-0 win against Seattle Sounders in the last game before the break. However, they could not build on that win and ended up losing the opening game of the Leagues Cup, putting themselves in a tight spot as hopes for knockout qualification dangle by a thread.

While San Jose Earthquakes have pulled off a few shocking results in the MLS this season, Tigres UANL will be an extremely tough nut to crack. However, the MLS side has the potential to hold the Liga MX champions to a draw, but Tigres UANL can win it on penalties.

Tigres UANL and San Jose Earthquakes have never faced each other in any club competition. The group stage fixture of the 2023 Leagues Cup will be the maiden encounter between the two sides, and it is expected to be a very tightly contested game.

Tigres UANL Have One Foot in the Knockouts  

Despite winning their eighth Liga MX title at the end of the previous Clausura season, Tigres UANL are not going to take their foot off the gas. The club already has a wide collection of trophies in the cabinet and is looking to add more to its collection.

The intent to do that was evident in their first group-stage encounter against Portland Timbers. The Liga MX champions were trailing after just 24 minutes but recovered in the first half itself as Andre-Pierre Gignac restored parity before the break.

Portland Timbers were reduced to ten men after their goalscorer, Evander Ferreira, was sent off two minutes after the equalizer. With an extra man’s advantage, Tigres UANL kept pushing and finally got the winning goal via Jesus Angulo in the 80th minute.

The club has shown resilience in all their past games and houses players who have a desire to go out and win games irrespective of the competition. The possession of a squad with such a mentality is one of the reasons why Tigres UANL are one of the top favorites to go all the way.

Tigres UANL Aiming to Extend Unbeaten Streak   

When San Jose Earthquakes face Tigres UANL, they will not only face the current Liga MX champions but will also be up against a side that has lost none of its last nine games. An unbeaten streak that started in the Clausura playoffs is still alive for Tigres UANL.

The only loss Tigres UANL suffered in the last ten games across all competitions came against Toluca in the playoff quarterfinals second leg. The loss accounted for nothing as Tigres UANL progressed because they had a better aggregate score.

After that, the club has beaten some of the strongest clubs of Liga MX and intends to extend its unbeaten streak across all competitions to ten games by beating San Jose Earthquakes next. Additionally, Tigres UANL have won their last five games on enemy territory.

Perfect Stage For Tigres UANL’s Attackers to Hit Their Stride

Andre-Pierre Gignac played an influential role in Tigres UANL’s success last season. The striker has played over 300 games for the club since joining them in 2015. In the Clausura campaign, the 38-year-old nabbed nine goals and three assists.

Stellar performances in front of goal in the Leagues Cup could see Gignac hit the 200-goal milestone. However, the goalscoring and creativity onus is not entirely on the Frenchman. The club has high expectations from Fernando Gorriaran and Luis Quinones this year.

San Jose Earthquakes Fully Capable of Causing Upsets   

After losing their opening game of the Leagues Cup, San Jose Earthquakes are certainly in a tough spot, but they tend to perform better when they are under pressure. This quality has been quite evident in their domestic league performances this season.

In the MLS, spectators were left frustrated when San Jose Earthquakes dropped points against opponents who were struggling at the wrong end of the table. However, against top sides, the club played with aplomb and came home with all available points.

San Jose Earthquakes snapped Los Angeles FC’s ten-game unbeaten streak earlier this year. Not only did they beat the defending MLS champions, they also earned all three points against the MLS runners-up Philadelphia Union.

The club has also beaten title contenders Seattle Sounders twice in the MLS this season. They have kept a clean sheet in both games. Hence, if the San Jose Earthquakes end up upsetting Tigres UANL, it would not be a big surprise. 

San Jose Earthquakes’ Form at Home Is Stellar  

A big factor supporting San Jose Earthquakes in the next fixture is that they will play in their backyard. At PayPal Park, the club have been a force to reckon with. In 12 home games in the MLS this season, San Jose Earthquakes have tasted defeat just once.

They only reason they are not ranked higher in the table is because of their terrible away form. On the road, the San Jose Earthquakes have won just one out of 11 games. They have the third-best home form in the domestic league across both divisions.  

Talismanic Winger Eager to Get Back on the Scoresheet

San Jose Earthquakes are expected to field the strongest starting eleven they have in the game against Tigres UANL. That means Cristian Espinoza will lead the attack. The Argentine has scored 11 goals and registered five assists in 23 appearances in the MLS this season.

He scored in all three MLS games before the break but could not get a goal in the previous Leagues Cup match against Portland Timbers. Espinoza will be itching to put his goalscoring boots back on and help his side in the attacking department.