It’s tough to pick a clear favorite here.
Although Tijuana are currently a playoff-worthy team that will be hosting this match, they have undoubtedly looked shaky in their latest four-game winless streak. Santos on the other hand have a five-point lead over Tijuana but have also appeared inconsistent as they’ve bounced back and forth between victories and defeats.
Many might lean towards three points for Santos here, but Tijuana should be able to keep this a highly competitive battle — especially at home.
Pick:
The draw for Tijuana vs Santos
How to Watch Club Tijuana vs Santos Laguna
| Club Tijuana vs Santos Laguna Information |
| What |
Club Tijuana vs Santos Laguna |
| Where |
Estadio Caliente (Tijuana, Mexico) |
| When |
Saturday, March 13th at 10:00 PM ET |
| How to Watch |
FS1 |
Once one of the top clubs in the early days of the 2021 Clausura, Tijuana have now gradually made their way down the league table since mid-February. With three losses and one draw in their last four matches, the Xolos no longer have the same bite they once had at the start of the season.
Of course, it must be noted that they had to face heavy-hitters like Club America, Monterrey, and Tigres since last month, but in their latest 2-1 defeat by Pachuca, Tijuana had no excuses. Outplayed by a side that sit near the very bottom of the league table, Tijuana was poor as they failed to create high-quality opportunities in the final third.
Could they turn things around this weekend? Tijuana has shown in a handful of games this year that they’re capable of catching squads off-guard with quick counters and early goals. Defensively, they’ve also had some luck through some perfectly-timed reflexes from veteran goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco.
That said — and sadly for Tijuana fans — they’ll likely run into similar obstacles they’ve recently faced when they head into the Liga MX weekend.
Santos’ Backline Has Been Reliable And Solid For Most Of The Season
Only three Liga MX teams have allowed fewer goals than Santos, and although we’ll later discuss their issues with scoring away from home, only two teams have allowed fewer goals in away games. It’s a commendable effort from Los Guerreros and it speaks volumes about the organizational effort that has been laid down by manager Guillermo Almada.
And during those occasional moments that Santos slips up in their own half? That’s when up-and-coming goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo gets to shine in net. At just 24 years of age, the Mexican player has not only become a captain for Santos, but also one of the elite players in his position within the league.
Acevedo seems to only be getting better as well, which could mean trouble for Tijuana’s hopes of bouncing back.
On The Other End Of The Pitch, Tijuana’s Attacking Efforts Leave Much To Be Desired
Once again, they’ve had to deal with some arduous matches in the last few weeks, but it’s still fair to question Tijuana’s chance creation and completion.
They have just two goals in their last three games, and following their latest loss to Pachuca, manager Pablo Guede was fuming in the post-game press conference as he criticized his team for the mistakes they were creating that halted their opportunities.
Striker/winger Fidel Martinez, who remains Tijuana’s leading goalscorer with four to his name, hasn’t been able to find the back of the net in his last four games. In support, only a couple of other options like Fabian Castillo and Mauro Manotas have been able to step up with their finishing in recent matches.
Which is a similar complication that could be said of their opposition when it comes to traveling outside of their familiar grounds…
Santos’ Scoring Has Become Problematic Away From Home
Here’s a stat: In their four away games this season, Santos have just one single goal. Also, were it not for some bizarre defending from Atlas back in early February that gifted Omar Campos a possibility to score, Santos would have been the only Liga MX team without an away goal.
Aside from finding the back of the net, this isn’t out of the ordinary for Santos. Like Tijuana, they are a club that benefits from teams needing to make the trips up north to their stadiums but also struggle when they themselves have to book those flights away from home.
For whatever reason, Santos have made their Estadio Corona a fortress and have yet to earn a loss there this season. But away from the Estadio Corona? Don’t count on the same results.
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