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Clásico Regio highlights Liga MX slate on Matchday 12

By Thomas Buckley

Hugo Ayala clears his zone during the Clásico Regio in the Clausura 2017 Liga MX Finals. (Photo by Azael Rodriguez/LatinContent via Getty Images)
Hugo Ayala clears his zone during the Clásico Regio in the Clausura 2017 Liga MX Finals. (Photo by Azael Rodriguez/LatinContent via Getty Images) /
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Liga MX Clasico Regio
Monterrey midfielder Carlos Rodríguez is hearing from European clubs. A good game in the Clásico Regio would enhance his résumé. (Photo by Leopoldo Smith/Getty Images) /

Rayados renew rivalry with Tigres; Cementeros ‘host’ América

The Liga MX schedule presents two more Classics for Matchday 12, but not much else.

Monterrey will be the center of attention on Saturday night, while Mexico City’s Junior Classic brings down the curtain on Sunday night.

With the Guardianes 2020 headed for the far turn, these two Clásicos will have significant impact as all four teams are vying for a bye in the playoffs.

The Cruz Azul-América contest looks more attractive on paper as it provides a 1 vs 4 match-up, while up north Monterrey will host a No. 6 vs No. 7 clash.

However, the Clásico Regiomontano features the two most recent champions (Tigres – Clausura 2019; Monterrey – Apertura 2019) and the two Monterrey-based clubs have won eight of the past 21 Liga MX titles. Just three years ago, the Tigres defeated the Rayados in the Finals to claim the Apertura 2017 championship.

Monterrey rivals looking for momentum

The 123rd playing of the Clásico Regio kicks off Saturday night at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer could be seen as a must-win for both teams.

A glance at the standings reveals that the two rivals have a modest 17 points (with the Tigres in 6th place, ahead on goal differential) and are 5 points out of 4th place.

With only 15 points at stake after this weekend, falling 7 or 8 points off the pace might be a bridge too far as only the top four teams in the Liga MX standings get a playoff bye

Both teams enter the Clásico coming off a win, but the Tigres win over Querétaro was more impactful. Going into the game vs the Gallos, “Los incomparables” were entirely Gignac-dependent. The French striker – André-Pierre Gignac – had scored 8 of the club’s 14 goals on the season.

Coach “Tuca” Ferretti stuck mostly with his veterans, reluctant to trust his two newest offensive toys – Nicolás “Diente” López and Leo Fernández. He gave Leo – a 21-year-old playmaker who had starred while on loan to Toluca last season – some minutes, but just one start through 10 matches.

Against Querétaro, Leo played the entire 90 minutes for the first time and “Diente” came on at the half. The Tigres exploded for three goals in the final 40 minutes with “Diente” scoring twice, Leo assisting on his first. However, before clapping your hands in wonder, let’s remember that Querétaro was playing with 10 men since minute 29.

With winger Javier Aquino due to miss the match with an injury, one wonders if “Tuca” might consider turning to “Diente” to start. It’s unlikely since the two play different positions, but the prospect of an attack-minded line-up has Tigres fans purring with contentment.

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