Club Leon vs. Tigres UANL – Liga MX, Saturday, December 4, 2021

On Wednesday, Club Leon looked destined to seal the first-leg advantage. However, two late goals saw Tigres UANL come from behind to win 2-1 at Estadio Universitario.

On Saturday, December 4, the two sides meet at Estadio Leon for the second leg of their Apertura semifinal.

Can the reigning Apertura champions turn things around and secure a place in the final? Or will the Tigers hold onto their lead and advance to the showpiece?

After discussing the Liga MX odds and analyzing the teams, I will share my prediction for Club Leon vs. Tigres UANL – along with a free betting pick for the second leg.

Club Leon (2.10) is the bookmakers’ favorite to win the second leg. Due to the away goals rule, a 1-0 victory will be enough for the home side to qualify for the final.

That said, a draw (3.10) of any kind would see Tigres UANL (3.30) book advance to the final. Let’s not forget that the away team heads into the second leg with a 2-1 advantage.

Anyway, that’s what the soccer betting sites make of this matchup. I’m going to take a closer look at both sides before settling on a Club Leon vs. Tigres UANL prediction and pick.

When Jean Meneses gave Leon the lead on 57 minutes in the first leg, the defending Apertura champs were on course to snatch an impressive away win. But they weren’t able to hold on.

Florian Thauvin equalized for Tigres on 90 minutes before Carlos Gonzalez netted the winner deep into stoppage time. Now, Ariel Holan’s men have their work cut out.

Although the Emeralds didn’t exactly deserve to win the first leg, they can count themselves unfortunate to have come away with nothing to show for their efforts.

Holan’s men have won only five of their past 15 Liga MX matches, recording five draws and five losses in the process. That run tells you everything you need to know about the team’s inconsistency.

Having lost two of their previous three outings, the Emeralds know they must up their game if they want to reach the final.

It’s fair to say that Miguel Herrera’s men completely dominated the first leg. Not only did they enjoy 63% possession, but they also racked up a whopping 30 shots – ten of which were on target.

Although they failed to break the deadlock until the 90th minute, they managed to bag two late goals to secure the win they deserved.

It is also worth pointing out that Herrara’s men have kept six clean sheets in their past 11 matches. Led by goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman, the backline has been immense in recent weeks.

At the opposite end of the field, the Tigers have netted a combined total of 12 goals across their previous seven outings – scoring over 1.5 goals on four occasions during that period.

The Tigers won three straight Apertura titles between 2015 and 2017 before clinching the Clausura title in 2019. Can they add the 2021 Apertura title to their collection?

It goes without saying that Saturday’s match will be a tense and cagey affair.

The hosts know they must score at least one goal to book their spot in the final, but they will want to keep things tight at the back to ensure that the Tigers don’t build upon their advantage.

Meanwhile, the visitors will be happy to sit back and defend their lead. But if they concede a goal, they will need to change their plan and reply with a goal of their own.

With all that in mind, I can see the two sides canceling each other out in the second leg.

In my eyes, the draw bet offers the best value here. With a place in the Apertura final on the line, Leon and Tigres are destined to dish up a tense encounter on Saturday.

The Tigers know a draw will get them to the final. If they are at their best in the second leg, they should be able to avoid defeat against an inconsistent Leon side.