Action from the Liga MX Clausura match between visiting Club Tijuana (red jersey) and Tigres on April 29, 2017, in San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico. (Photo: Andrea Jimenez/Straffon Images)

MONTERREY, Mexico – There will be no shortage of excitement in the 2017 Liga MX Clausura semifinal series between Club Tijuana and defending champion Tigres. The Xolos will have their hands full with red-hot UANL when the sides clash in the first leg on Thursday at the Estadio Universitario in San Nicolas de los Garza. 

CONCACAF.com previews the series between the 2017 Liga MX regular-season winner and the current champion. 

REGULAR SEASON RECORDS

#1 Club Tijuana (9W-4D-4L; 30GF, 22GA) v #7 Tigres (7W-4D-6L; 26GF, 12GA)  

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

  • Club Tijuana overcame a 1-0 quarterfinal, first-leg defeat at Morelia to capture the series 2-1 on aggregate. Henry Martin (42’) and Juan Lucero (80’) scored in a 2-0, second-leg victory.
  • Tigres rolled past rival Monterrey in the quarterfinals, 6-1 on aggregate (4-1 home win; 2-0 away win. UANL has won its last four Clausura matches by a combined score of 14-2.  

SHINING STARS:

  • Tigres’ France international Andre-Pierre Gignac scored four goals against Monterrey in the quarterfinals – two in each match (scored in each half of both games).
  • While he did not score against Morelia, Club Tijuana forward Aviles Hurtado is a threat any time he touches the ball as evidenced by his eight regular-season goals (tied for second on scoring chart). 

(UN)FAMILIAR FOES:

  • In their lone meeting this season, Tigres defeated visiting Club Tijuana, 3-0, on April 29.
  • This will be their first-ever meeting in a postseason game. 

SCCL DREAMS:

  • By virtue of winning the 2016 Apertura title, Tigres has already qualified for the 2017/18 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (SCCL). It has made three previous appearances in the competition, reaching the final in the last two.
  • Club Tijuana has made one SCCL appearance, advancing to the semifinals of the 2013/14 edition, before falling to eventual-champion Cruz Azul (agg: 1-2).