On Tuesday, March 13, 2018 (5:00 PM Pacific) New York Red Bulls will host Xolos Tijuana at the Red Bull Arena for the second leg of the Quarterfinal in the CONCACAF Champions League. New York Red Bulls achieved a historic 2-0 victory in the first leg played at the Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, and will be looking to close out the series at home.
Due to the unique schedule of the MLS, New York is barely starting its season, having played just four official matches so far. Playing against a Tijuana squad that is in the middle of its Liga MX season might seem to be a disadvantage, however, New York has started off the season in terrific form.
The Red Bulls have won three out of four matches and tied the away leg in the CCL Round of 16 against Olimpia 1-1. New York advanced from the CCL Round of 16 by finishing off Olimpia with a 2-0 home win, which the Red Bulls followed up with a 2-0 away victory against Tijuana. Over the weekend, New York enjoyed a dream start to the MLS season with a 4-0 thrashing of Portland.
It is safe to say that the Red Bulls are enjoying a great start to the season, and have shown no signs of weakness. On the other hand, Xolos have struggled lately. Coming off the embarrassing 0-2 loss at home against New York, Xolos went on to experience further misery by losing 1-0 against Tigres in the Liga MX.
Xolos moved on past the Round of 16 in the CCL by barely squeaking by against Motagua with a 2-1 aggregate score that saw Xolos holding on to a 1-1 home second leg draw to avoid a disastrous elimination. Xolos are not doing much better in the Liga MX, barely holding on to a playoff spot in 7th place with 16 points through 11 matchdays.
Although Xolos can defend well, they have struggled on the attack, a problem worsened by the injury of star striker Bou, who will be absent for the second leg against New York Red Bulls. Although the 2-0 home result against New York might say otherwise, Tijuana did not play poorly and are very unlucky to not have come out with at least a draw.
New York Red Bulls vs Xolos Tijuana Prediction
Although New York Red Bulls achieved a historic result at the Estadio Caliente, they were dominated for most of the match and were lucky to come away with a clean sheet. Xolos Tijuana should be able to once again dominate possession and should come away with a win. However, the 2-0 home loss will be too much for Tijuana to overcome. FutnSoccer predicts a 2-1 victory for Xolos in the second leg, that sees New York move on to the CCL semifinals with an aggregate score of 3-2.
How to Watch New York Red Bulls vs Xolos Tijuana
The New York Red Bulls vs Xolos Tijuana match will be broadcast this Tuesday, March 13 at 5:00 PM Pacific:
TV Schedule: Univision Deportes
Watch Live Online: Sling TV (Watch 7 Days Free)
