The Clasico Regio ended in a 0-0 draw as neither team was able to find that breakout goal. The match was supposed to be one filled with excitement and passion, as is every rivalry game, but this one fell short of that by miles. Now Monterrey will prepare for a difficult game against current champions Cruz Azul while Tigres will face 18th place Juárez.
The beginning of the game seemed to set the tone for the game as Monterrey spent the first 10 minutes pressing high. They were not giving Tigres any
room to breathe. This high pressure led to frustrations for the visitors who committed fouls left and right. Joaquim even went as far as committing an unnecessary reckless foul and he was awarded the first yellow card seven minutes into the game. In the 10th minute that high pressure paid off with a dangerous opportunity as the Rayados made their way up the right flank. The ball was crossed into the box but Mauro Lainez was there to kick the ball out of danger. A few minutes later and the home side had another opportunity as Orbelin Pineda beat his mark on the left wing and made his way into the box. Unfortunately he did not shoot as he tried to find the perfect angle and in the process he was dispossessed.
By the 30 minute mark the game had hit a stalemate as both teams attempted to break the other down but the defenses stood strong. Monterrey weren’t pressing with the high intensity as they had at the beginning of the game meanwhile Tigres were just trying to make their way forward but were unable to make any real threats. A few minutes later Monterrey had a big chance at goal as Lucas Ocampos received a cross in the box that he sent towards the net but Nahuel was there to make the save. This seemed to awaken Rayados who picked up the intensity but were stopped short by Tigres who started to foul again. Mauro Lainez even picked up a yellow for a foul. The half ended with both teams pushing but unable to find anything.
The second half started like the first with Monterrey putting pressure on Tigres who had trouble moving the ball forward. They then had a dangerous chance in the 55th minute when Juan Brunetta stole the ball at the halfway line and made a run towards his opponents box. Instead of making his way into the box he shot from distance but the ball went over the crossbar. Brunetta seemed to be the only one on Tigres who was attempting to make any breakthroughs while his teammates did little to help him. In the 60th minute the visitors had a big chance as they were awarded a free kick outside of the box due to a Rayados foul. The ball made its way inside the box where Alan Franco headed the ball towards the net but Andrada collected the ball.
It wasn’t until the 65th minute that either team made substitutions as Monterrey struck first as Matias Almeyda decided to put fresh legs in at striker. A few minutes later Victor Vucetich also brought in two players with fresh legs looking for a spark his team needed. These changes didn’t work for either teams as the substitutions did not light that spark either team desperately needed. In fact, it had a bad effect for Tigres as the subs caused Brunetta to lose his spark. He went from being a big factor for his team to barely touching the ball after the changes were made. The rest of the match went back and forth as both teams were looking for one last wind that did not come. There were big expectations for the rivalry game but instead all this game gave fans was sleepiness. There were very few exciting moments one expects from a Clasico and to say it was disappointing is an understatement.
