Andre-Pierre Gignac (pictured) scored twice in Tigres' Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League semifinal win over Queretaro on April 5, 2016, in San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico. (Photo: Mexsport)
SAN NICOLAS DE LOS GARZA, Mexico – A pair of late goals by Andre-Pierre Gignac lifted 10-man Tigres to a 2-0 victory over visiting Queretaro on Tuesday night at the Estadio Universitario, earning the current Mexican champion a place in the 2015/16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League final.
The 2015 Copa Libertadores runner-up captured the semifinal series by the same score after the sides played to a scoreless draw in the opener last month.
Gignac now has three goals in the competition to go along with his Liga MX Clausura-leading nine.
Tigres, which has posted shutouts in six of its seven all-time SCCL home games, will next face either Santos or defending champion Club America.
The host created the majority of chances in a game that saw its Jesus Dueñas be ejected in the 72nd minute after a second booking. Despite being down a man, Tigres built offensive momentum and eventually outshot Queretaro, 11-5.
UANL was rewarded in the 84th minute, when Gignac finished off a precise sequence that began when Israel Jimenez found Rafael Sobis near the right touchline. Sobis darted toward the goal and then dragged a cross back toward the penalty spot.
After Damian Alvarez’s neat backheel flick, Gignac reached the ball and sent his first-time, right-footed shot beyond goalkeeper Tiago Volpi’s dive and inside the left post.
Gignac struck again four minutes later on a more straightforward -- though skillfull -- effort. After reaching a long ball played out of Tigres’ own end, he eluded defenders Miguel Martinez and Juan Forlin, before chipping the charging Volpi for a valuable insurance goal.
Queretaro once again played without injured forward Emanuel Villa, who remains as the SCCL’s top scorer with six goals.
