Liga MX champion will be crowned at Estadio León

Liga MX: Guard1anes 2020 Final knotted at 1-all with 90 minutes to go

No. 1 León escaped the first leg of the Final with a draw after Emmanuel Gigliotti slid home the equalizer in minute 89. Since the away-goals rule does not apply in the Final, that means there will have to be a winner on the pitch or the contest will go to penalty kicks.

Upstart UNAM was poised to steal an advantage at their home ground on the back of a headed goal in minute 72 by Carlos González. It seemed even more likely nine minutes later when Esmeraldas defender Stiven Barreiro was shown a red card.

That’s when MVP front-runner Luis Montes worked his magic. The León captain chipped a perfectly weighted pass down the left flank behind the Pumas defense. “Avión” Ramírez chased down the pass, turned toward goal, dribbled into the box and zipped a low cross toward net where Gigliotti wriggled free between two defenders before sticking out his right boot and deflecting the ball inside the far post.

A roar went up from the León bench while dejection washed over the Pumas contingent. For his part, Ramírez let out a deep sigh of relief as his error just 4 minutes after coming on led to the UNAM goal.

Liga MX fans now turn their attention to the Nou Camp, aka Estadio León.

The home team will be without the suspended Barreiro but they also might have to make do without striker Joel Campbell. The Costa Rica international was replaced by Gigliotti at halftime due to back stiffness and his availability for Sunday’s gran finale is in doubt.

Coach Ignacio Ambriz could move William Tesillo back to central defense and insert Ramírez in his place at left fullback while Gigliotti is the likely starter should Campbell be a no-go. “El Avión” and “Puma” Gigliotti have seen plenty of action this season so there is no need for significant tactical adjustment.

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No doubt, Andrés Lillini will have counseled his Pumas to put the disappointment of the first leg behind them. Game stats reveal that UNAM more than held their own against the top-seeded Esmeraldas.

León enjoyed 53% of possession but managed only 2 shots on goal and UNAM outshot “La Fiera” 14-9. The Pumas midfield harried and harassed Montes and his mates throughout the match, making it difficult for León to settle into a comfort zone in their offensive third.

Although Alan Mozo was victimized by Ramírez for the game-tying assist, the right fullback was effective moving forward. He provided numerous services into the box and was a constant threat for the No. 2 seeds. Mozo and Juan Iturbe (and later, Carlos Gutiérrez) ran rampant down the right flank much of the game.

If UNAM enjoys time and space on either flank, watch for a steady supply of crosses searching for González and team scoring leader Juan Ignacio Dinenno. The two-headed strike force has 19 of the club’s 35 goals and González in particular was a dynamo in Wednesday’s contest.

Andrés Iniestra and Leonel López were strong in front of the Sebastián Freire and Johan Vázquez central defense tandem. They’ll have to replicate their performance if UNAM hopes to add another Liga MX trophy.

On the other side of the ball, wingers Angel Mena and Jean Meneses will have to contribute more. Neither played up to their potential in the Clausura 2019 Final loss to the Tigres and both were less than productive in Wednesday’s draw.

I’d also expect the goalies – Rodolfo Cota for the Esmeraldas and Julio González for the Pumas (it’s unlikely that Alfredo Talavera will get the nod since he’s still not 100 percent) – to be called upon more often. Cota made 3 saves and González just 1 in the first 90 minutes.