Chivas vs Tigres: Live stream, starting lineup, kickoff time & match preview

Jon Arnold

Chivas vs Tigres: Live stream, starting lineup, kickoff time & match preview image

It's been a different story this season for Chivas and Tigres.

After shaking off a title-winning hangover, Tigres have shown their quality in league play. Ricardo Ferretti's men have won their past four Liga MX matches and sit fourth in the table.

Chivas have won just twice in league play this season after last week's 1-0 victory over Lobos BUAP. But they're feeling good after thrashing the Seattle Sounders in CONCACAF Champions League play to move on to the semifinals while Tigres were frustrated by their elimination by Toronto FC earlier this week. Now the teams will face off, looking to keep the momentum up as the Liguilla draws closer. 

Game Chivas vs. Tigres
Date Saturday, March 17
Time 11:06 p.m. ET
Stream (U.S. only) fuboTV (7-day free trial)

LIVE STREAM


Rafael Carioca Tigres

Watch Chivas vs. Tigres live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.


SQUADS & TEAM NEWS


Position Chivas players
Goalkeepers Rodriguez, Cota, Jimenez
Defenders Alanis, Slacido, Pereira, Marin, Hernandez, Sanchez, Basulto
Midfielders Pineda, Lopez, Sandoval, Benitez, Pizarro, Perez, Cervantes, O. Macias
Forwards Pulido, Brizuela, Zaldivar, C. Cisneros, R. Cisneros, J. Macias

Jesus Sanchez's torn meniscus, suffered against Club America, will have him out for the remainder of the tournament. Hedgardo Marin remains out because of a knee issue. Chivas manager Matias Almeyda went with a 3-4-3 against the Seattle Sounders in the CONCACAF Champions League and may roll out the same formation Saturday. Alan Pulido has a right ankle injury keeping him out.

Potential starting XI: Cota; Salcido, Alanis, Hernandez; Cisneros, Perez, Pineda, Brizuela; Pizarro, Macias, Lopez

Position Tigres players
Goalkeepers Guzman, Fernandez, Ortega
Defenders Kolodziejczak, Ayala, Juninho, Meza, Torres Nilo, Acosta, Jimenez, Estrada, Rodriguez
Midfielders Carioca, Duenas, J. Torres, Vasquez, R. Torres, Zelarayan, Aquino, Alvarez, Sosa, Damm
Forwards Valencia, Gignac, Vargas

Luis "Chaka" Rodriguez and Jorge Ivan Estrada worked out apart from the group in training sessions this week and will not be available. Andre-Pierre Gignac did not travel because of knee inflammation.

Potential starting XI: Guzman; Acosta, Ayala, Juninho, Torres Nilo; Zelarayan, Carioca, Aquino; Sosa, Valencia, Vargas


GAME PREVIEW


Matias Almeyda, Chivas

There's still hope for Chivas' season. That's what we learned last week.

Most of it is because of the CONCACAF Champions League, a tournament in which Chivas advanced to the semifinals thanks to a 3-0 win over Seattle earlier this week. There's also outside hope that the Guadalajara side will be able to turn things around so much that it will find itself in the Liguilla.

To do that, results are needed quickly, and having Tigres visit may not be what manager Matias Almeyda wants to see. Sure, Tigres are coming off a frustrating elimination from the CCL at the hands of Toronto FC, ending their dream of lifting an international title at the quarterfinal stage. But they've also won their last four Liga MX matches and are undefeated in their last six league games.

Chivas will have to stop Tigres without right back Jesus Sanchez, whose knee injury in the Clasico Nacional two weeks ago is forcing Almeyda to get creative with his lineups. Last week in league play he tried a five-man back line with two midfielders playing on the right side of defense before using a three-man back line for much of the game against Seattle.

Tuca Ferretti, his counterpart Saturday, also has alternated between a three-man defense and his traditional back four. Despite an injury to his starting right back, Luis "Chaka" Rodriguez, as well, Tigres have been able to use Israel Jimenez at the position and not see much of a drop in quality.

The attack, for all its talent and big names, has scored in spurts, Eduardo Vargas and Enner Valencia start the match could be critical to seeing how this one will go with Andre-Pierre Gignac not making the trip because of knee inflammation.

The wild card, as it seems to always be for Chivas, is the home stadium where they've won just one league match in their last 10 at the Estadio Chivas. Almeyda and the club's fans are hoping the CCL victory there during the week will snap the club out of its funk in front of its own supporters.

Jon Arnold

Jon Arnold Photo

Jon Arnold covered the Mexico national team and Concacaf region in English for Goal until March 2020. His byline also has appeared in the Dallas Morning News, the New York Times Goal blog, FloFC and Pacific Standard. In addition to his written work, he serves as the Concacaf expert on the BBC's World Football Phone-In and has appeared on SiriusXMFC in English and Fox Deportes and Milenio in Spanish. Formerly based in Tijuana and currently living in Texas, Jon covered the 2018 World Cup, the 2015 Copa America, the 2016 Copa America Centenario and the last five Gold Cups.