Tigres UANL vs. Chivas Guadalajara result: Andre-Pierre Gignac scores twice, liguilla berth within reach

Simon Borg

Tigres UANL vs. Chivas Guadalajara result: Andre-Pierre Gignac scores twice, liguilla berth within reach image

A direct berth into the liguilla is within reach for Tigres UANL after its 2-1 win over Chivas Guadalajara at the Estadio Universitario in Monterrey. Star forward Andre-Pierre Gignac was the difference-maker, scoring twice to give his team a lead it would not relinquish.

Chivas dominated the second half in a comeback attempt, but it only got its goal four minutes from time, which proved too little, too late. El Rebano still has a chance to clinch a spot in the play-in round — also called the repechaje — when it plays its final match of the regular season next weekend at Mazatlan.

Here's the way the playoffs work: The top four teams in the Liga MX Apertura standings qualify directly to the liguilla quarterfinals, and the win lifted Tigres into third place (25 points). In order to mathematically clinch a direct quarterfinal berth, Tigres need one more home win against former coach Tuca Ferretti's FC Juarez in the regular-season finale. 

MORE: Updated Liga MX standings heading into Saturday

The teams that finish between 5th and 12th in the standings will qualify for a single-elimination play-in round (repechaje) for the right to advance to the liguilla quarterfinals. Despite the loss, Chivas (19 points) is clinging to the 12th and final spot. It will close out the season on Friday at 11th-placed Mazatlan (20 points).

Gignac opened the scoring on a fourth-minute free kick and from that point forward, Tigres took control of the first half, but failed to trouble Chivas 'keeper Raul Gudino. In a second half which it dominated, Chivas had a goal called back for offside (Jesus Molina header) and Uriel Antuna was foiled by the crossbar. Then Gignac struck again to seal the win, though a Tigres own goal four minutes from time made for a dramatic stoppage time period.

"It's not easy to come to a field like this and take the ball away from Tigres and to dominate and get into their box," said Chivas interim manager Marcelo Michel Leano. "The draw was there [to be had]. We have to be stronger. Today our opponent got to us three times and scored two goals. Being self-critical, we have to improve our finishing and keep up the level we had in the second half. And we're going to go to Mazatlan to win. Qualification to the [repechaje] is in our hands."

Tigres UANL vs. Chivas final score

  1H 2H Final
Tigres 1 1 2
Chivas 0 1 1

Goals:
TIG — Andre-Pierre Gignac — 4th min.
TIG — Andre-Pierre Gignac (Jesus Duenas) — 80th min.
CHV — Guido Pizarro (own goal) — 86th min.

Tigres UANL vs. Chivas live updates, highlights

(All times Eastern)

Final: Tigres 2, Chivas 1

90th min.: Six minutes of stoppage time. Tigres defender Carlos Salcedo is down with cramps but recovers.

86th min.: Goal Chivas! Jesus 'Canelo' Angulo creates it, and finds teammate Uriel Antuna who touches it past the 'keeper. But it goes off Guido Pizarro for the own goal.

80th min.: Gignac scores! Jesus Duenas cuts back ball into the box from the right side and Gignac fires it home first-time.

78th min.: What a chance for Chivas! Off the woodwork! Uriel Antuna touches a ball sent into the box and it goes off the crossbar from close range.

77th min.: Two Tigres subs — David Ayala and Carlos Gonzalez in for Juan Vigon and Luis Quinones.

72nd min.: SUBS — Two attack-minded changes for Chivas. Uriel Antuna and 'Chicote' Calderon come in for the two fullbacks who were booked (Cisneros & Mayorga). Chivas is going for it.

71st min.: What a save by Raul Gudino! The Chivas netminder keeps his team in this game. He looked like he was beaten on the Gignac header because he was moving in the opposite direction. But he recovered to make the one-handed stop.

66th min.: Chivas defender 'Pollo' Briseno tries the bike in the box, but it goes right to the 'keeper Nahuel Guzman. Meanwhile Tigres brings in Leo Fernandez in place of Diente Lopez.

64th min.: Another Chivas yellow card. This time it's the left back Mayorga. Now three of four Chivas defenders (Cisneros and Briseno) are carrying yellows and have to be careful.

62nd min.: It's been all Chivas in the second half. Cesar Huerta connects with Jesus Molina in the box once again, but Tigres center back Carlos Salcedo blocks the shot. Moments later, Tigres right back Chaka Rodriguez gets a yellow for chopping down Huerta, who's causing problems.

60th min.: SUB — Jesus 'El Pollo' Duenas comes in for Tigres midfielder Rafael Carioca, who does not hide his annoyance at being subbed.

60th min.: Chivas have been the better team to start the half. Tigres are not as aggressive as they were in the first half, and their first sub is coming already.

56th min.: Goal Chivas! But it's called back for offside! Captain Jesus Molina pushed into the box and applied the snap header on a Cesar Huerta floated cross. The head referee doesn't even need to look at it. It doesn't count.

53rd min.: Tigres are content letting Chivas have the possession to start and then wait for the turnover which inevitably happens.

47th min.: YELLOW - Chivas center back 'Pollo' Briseno gets a yellow two minutes into the second half for a high arm while trying to hold off a Tigres attacker. Gignac wastes the free kick.

46th min.: Second half is underway. No changes.

Halftime: Tigres 1, Chivas 0

Halftime: Deserved lead for the home team which eventually imposed itself on the game, especially after the early breakthrough on the Gignac free kick. Tigres consistently look like they can be dangerous, pushing numbers into the attack, but they're not getting shots on target (1 of 6 in the first half). Chivas have still had their moments through wingers Isaac Brizuela and Canelo Angulo. They're going to have to take more chances in the second half.

43rd min.: Tigres is reaching the Chivas box with regularity. This time it's Juan Vigon sending in a cross which finds 'Diente' Lopez, but he can't coordinate himself to get a shot off.

38th min.: Gignac blasts another shot toward goal, but it goes off the head of Chivas captain Jesus Molina and there's a momentary stoppage in play.

35th min.: Tigres look like the more dangerous team, with the better build-up play, and it's Gignac with a chance in the box, but he skies it. He should've done better on that one.

28th min.: YELLOW — Another yellow, this one for Chivas right back Carlos Cisneros who threw a ball onto the field while Tigres were trying to take the throw-in. Unsportsmanlike play.

23rd min.: YELLOW — Tigres defender Hugo Ayala gets cautioned for ramming into the back of Isaac Brizuela.

21st min.: Best chance for Chivas falls on the foot of Canelo Angulo, but he can't get it on target. Nice attacking move from the visitors.

20th min.: SUB — 'Nene' Beltran comes in for Chivas midfielder Sergio Flores who picked up a knock for Chivas.

17th min.: Tigres creates a chance off a throw-in and 'Diente' Lopez sends a ball across the front of the Chivas goal.

11th min.: Chivas winger Isaac Brizuela wins a corner. He's operating on the left and Canelo Angulo is on the right.

7th min.: Cameras show that Nahuel Guzman stepped on the foot of Canelo Angulo's foot before the corner kick. And then Angulo returned the favor and Guzman hit the deck. VAR and the officials didn't act on it.

6th min.: We have a good one on our hands. Tigres left back Javier Aquino has to clear the ball off the line and then Chivas get another header on the ensuing corner, but it finishes high.

4th min.: Goal Tigres! The home team went down the other end and won a free kick. Andre-Pierre Gignac took it and scored.

2nd min.: Chivas chance! Cross from Manuel Mayorga on the left and two Chivas players get in each other's way at the near post. Chivas are not just going to sit back here.

1st min.: We're off.

10:00 p.m.: Nine of 11 of the Tigres starters take their team photo in Halloween masks. Chaka Rodriguez and Rafael Carioca are the ones who didn't bother.

9:34 p.m.: If you're Chivas, should interim head coach Marcelo Michel Leano be given more time? Or do they try to make a run for Nacho Ambriz or Jaime Lozano?

9:30 p.m.: The last time that Chivas beat a Miguel Herrera side was 2012:

9:29 p.m.: It would've been football legend Diego Armando Maradona's 61st birthday and Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman, who's Argentine, commemorates the occasion.

8:53 p.m.: Tigres fans are dressing up for Halloween a day early.

Tigres UANL vs. Chivas lineups

Tigres manager Miguel Herrera confirmed that the team will be without the injured Diego Reyes and Florian Thauvin for the match.

Tigres UANL starting lineup (5-3-2, left to right):  1-Nahuel Guzman-GK — 20-Javier Aquino, 3-Carlos Salcedo, 19-Guido Pizarro, 4-Hugo Ayala, 28-Luis 'Chaka' Rodriguez — 23-Luis Quinones, 5-Rafael Carioca, 6-Juan Vigon — 10-Andre-Pierre Gignac, 11-Nicolas 'Diente' Lopez

Tigres subs (10):  30-Miguel Ortega-GK, 8-Francisco Venegas, 14-Juan Sanchez Purata, 17-Leonardo Fernandez, 18-Aldo Cruz, 22-Raymundo Fulgencio, 29-Jesus Duenas, 32-Carlos Gonzalez, 35-Jordan Sierra, 192-David Ayala

Chivas head coach Marcelo Michel Leano won't be able to count on Mexican international Alexis Vega, who's still on the mend after picking up an injury with the national team in October. Luis Olivas will also not be traveling as he continues to recover, while Antonio Rodriguez is unavailable due to a recent operation.

Chivas starting lineup (4-2-3-1, left to right):  1-Raul Gudino-GK — 33-Carlos 'Charal' Cisneros, 14-Antonio 'Pollo' Briseno, 3-Gilberto 'Tiba' Sepulveda, 2-Manuel Mayorga — 30-Sergio Flores, 5-Jesus Molina (c) — 19-Jesus 'Canelo' Angulo, 29-Alan 'Lalo' Torres, 11-Isaac Brizuela  — 6-Cesar Huerta

Chivas subs (10): 23-Miguel Jimenez-GK, 17-Jesus Sanchez, 21-Hiram Mier, 16-Miguel Ponce, 20-Fernando 'Nene' Beltran, 26-Cristian Calderon, 7-Uriel Antuna, 18-Ronaldo Cisneros, 9-Angel Zaldivar, 24-Oribe Peralta

How to watch Tigres UANL vs. Chivas

  • Date: Saturday, Oct. 30
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET
  • TV Channels: Univision, TUDN
  • Streaming: fuboTV

The big match from Matchday 16 in the Liga MX Apertura will air on both Univision and TUDN. Both channels are streamed on fuboTV , which is available for a free 7-day trial to new subscribers .

Simon Borg

Simon Borg Photo

Simon Borg is a senior editor at The Sporting News who has covered football/soccer for over a decade. A supporter of Italian club Parma Calcio from his years growing up in Europe, he was previously a long-time member of Major League Soccer's digital media team, as a multimedia content producer, on-air personality, and Editor-in-Chief. Based in New York City, Borg is multilingual and has covered the domestic and global scene for TSN since 2021.