In the quarterfinals of the Liga MX Clausura 2017, Atlas will host Chivas of Guadalajara at the Estadio Jalisco this Thursday, May 11, 2017 (7:30 PM Pacific). The game will be the first leg of the match up and should present a thrilling encounter with the history the two teams have.
Atlas exceeded expectations this tournament and emerged as one of the best teams this year, finishing in sixth place with 26 points. Los Rojinegros also finished with 24 goals which were good for the fourth-best offense in the Liga MX. Matias Alustiza played a huge role in that offense obtaining eight goals in the tournament, good for second best in the Liga MX.
An underrated component for Atlas was the defense which excelled even without the captain, Rafael Marquez to lead the way. The standouts in the backline were the young fullback pairing of Luis Reyes and Jose Madueña who also provide a lot going forward for Jose Guadalupe Cruz. On paper, Atlas is coming off a huge 1-0 loss at home to Chiapas that ended the regular season but will need to use the home-field advantage in this game to obtain a favorable result.
Chivas of Guadalajara had a magnificent tournament finishing in third place with 27 points but really failed to finish with momentum unable to win a game in its last five league encounters. Los Rojiblancos will also have some injury problems and will be without Isaac Brizuela, Carlos Cisneros, Rodolfo Pizarro or Angel Zaldivar for the game. The game can prove to be tough especially playing at the Estadio Jalisco and with Chivas struggling to find a consistent goal-scorer. Throughout the campaign no lone player has stood out for Matias Almeyda, Alan Pulido finishing as the top goalscorer for the club with only five goals.
The first time these two teams met earlier in the Clausura, Chivas did come away with the 2-1 victory at the Estadio Jalisco. Atlas was arguably a different team with Jose Guadalupe Cruz implementing different tactics. This game surely has potential to go a different route and should be a thrilling game between two of the teams that form the biggest rivalry in Mexico.
How to Watch Atlas vs Chivas
The Atlas vs Chivas match will be broadcast this Thursday, May 11 at 7:30 PM Pacific:
TV Schedule: Azteca America
Watch Live Online: Sling TV (Watch 7 Days Free)
