Action from the first leg of the Liga MX Apertura final between Club America (left) and visiting Tigres on December 22, 2016, in Mexico City. (Photo: Luis Licona/Straffon Images)
MEXICO CITY – Club America and visiting Tigres battled to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the 2016 Liga MX Apertura final on Thursday at the Estadio Azteca.
The series will close Sunday at the Estadio Universitario in San Nicolas de los Garza, with the winner dethroning Pachuca as Mexican champion.
Andre-Pierre Gignac gave UANL a 1-0 lead in the 45th minute, when he took possession in midfield and burst past Paolo Goltz into the left side of the box with a change of pace, before using the outside of his right foot to slip a shot underneath goalkeeper Moises Muñoz from five yards-out.
The host equalized in the 68th minute off a well-worked corner kick that was delivered from the left by Michael Arroyo. Charging in towards the top of the six-yard, Pablo Aguilar glanced a header to the far post, where Bruno Valdez jabbed it home with his right foot from close range.
Tigres received bad news in the 73rd minute as Gignac left the game with apparent head and lower-back injuries after Valdez appeared to initiate contact from behind in the penalty area. The France international’s availability for the second leg is questionable.
Club America had an opportunity go ahead 1-0 in the 28th minute, but Oribe Peralta drilled a penalty kick off the crossbar.
In their last two meetings in a final, Club America prevailed over Tigres on both occasions: 2014 Liga MX Apertura (agg: 3-1) and the 2015/16 SCCL (agg: 4-1).
