View the Xolos 1-0 Leon highlights here.
The Xolos Tijuana vs Leon 2013 match will be this Saturday, January 12, 2013 (8:00 PM EDT) at the Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, Baja California. Club Tijuana will have their Clausura 2013 home opener against their most direct rival. Leon and Xolos had a long history of rivalry in the old Liga de Ascenso, and now while in the first division they faced each other in last season’s semifinals. Xolos won that series and went on to become Apertura 2012 Liga MX champions, therefore Leon has the sense of revenge and they will attempt to do just that in Club Tijuana’s first home game after lifting the trophy.
The first time Xolos and Leon played each other in the Liga MX was last season during Week 2 in Leon, with a final score of 4-0 for the ‘panzas verdes’. At that point, Xolos was without stars Egidio Arevalo and Pepe Sand, so the question in the air was if that team could repeat in the playoffs. That Friday night would become the lone ‘Noche Triste’ for Xolos because not only would they go undefeated for the rest of the regular season, but they would also become Liga MX champions in only their 3rd season. On Saturday, Antonio Mohamed has a much more experienced team than the one that lost on that night in Leon, but they also will face an incredible team who also made a terrific semifinals run.
Leon had all the makings of a Cinderella team by reaching the semifinals in their first season back to the first division. After defeating Tijuana 2-0 on the first leg, Leon was just one goal away from reaching the finals; however, we have all heard how that story goes. The ‘Noche Triste’ for Leon happened on a Sunday night at the feared Estadio Caliente where they lost 3-0 against the best Xolos anyone had ever seen. This Saturday, the rivalry returns between two clubs that respect each other off the field, but on it, it has all the makings of a new Liga MX ‘clasico’.
Xolos Tijuana vs Leon Prediction
Leon comes into Week 2 with a tie against arguably the league’s worst team. The ‘panzas verdes’ have two new star signings who could make a big impact at any time. However, dating back to when Xolos and Leon faced each other in the second division, Leon has had a difficult time winning at the Estadio Caliente. Meanwhile, Xolos demonstrated against Leon that they are still in championship form, and with the support of the home fans, it will be difficult for this team to lose at home. In what I consider the ‘game of the week’, the Xolos Tijuana vs Leon 2013 match will end 2-0 in favor of the home team.
Xolos Tijuana vs Leon Television
The Xolos Tijuana vs Leon match will be televised this Saturday, January 12, 2013 on Unimas (previously known as Telefutura) at 8:00 PM Eastern.
