Tigres commenced their Apertura 2026 campaign in the worst possible fashion, maintaining doubts surrounding the squad due to a lack of reinforcements. The Monterrey-based side ultimately lost their opening fixture 3-1 in stoppage time, playing with a man down following Rodrigo Aguirre’s dismissal.
A late brace from Mourad El Ghezouani secured an important victory for the border club, Xolos, in Jornada 1. Gilberto Mora did not feature in the match for Xolos.
Opening Campaign Woes for Tigres
The first half saw Tigres command 59 per cent of the ball. However, they appeared unsure what to do with possession, creating only one shot on target. The half concluded as a nightmare for them, ending with a man less before the break.
Xolos, meanwhile, created early opportunities. Diego Abreu had a clear chance to open the scoring in the 23rd minute. Rafael Fernández delivered a cross from the right wing, which the forward headed towards goal. Tigres’ goalkeeper, Nahuel Guzmán, managed to secure the ball, denying the early threat.
The opening goal for Xolos arrived in the 31st minute. Yael Padilla received the ball inside the area before laying it off for Ramiro Árciga. Árciga struck the ball first-time towards the far post, beating Patón for a 1-0 lead.
Red Card Drama Unfolds
Just before the interval, Tigres faced a significant setback with a dismissal. Rodrigo Aguirre became the first player to be sent off under the ‘Ley Prestianni’ in Liga MX. His expulsion occurred in the 44th minute following a skirmish on the pitch. The incident began between Fernando Gorriarán of Tigres and Alejandro Gómez of Xolos.
During the confrontation with the opposing defender, ‘El Búfalo’, as Aguirre is known, lost concentration. He covered his mouth, which ultimately led to him being shown a red card by the match official.
Tigres Fight Back Amidst Controversy
Despite being reduced to ten men, Tigres found an equaliser in the second half. Ozziel Herrera netted in the 56th minute after a corner kick. Joaquim headed the ball down in the box, and the Mexican forward simply tapped it in with his head from the six-yard box to make it 1-1.
Herrera had been moved into the centre-forward position for Tigres, a tactical adjustment made following ‘El Búfalo’s’ earlier expulsion. The equalising goal momentarily stabilised the yellow and blue side.
Late Goal Frenzy Secures Xolos Victory
As the match neared its conclusion, both sides pressed for a winning goal. Aldahir Pérez had an opportunity to put Xolos 2-1 up in the 85th minute. He received the ball in the area and took a shot, but the effort unluckily went over the crossbar of the Tigres goal, representing a clear goal-scoring opportunity for the border club.
Juan Brunetta then had what could have been the winning goal for Tigres in the 89th minute. Juan Pablo Vigón delivered a cross from the right side of the area, and the Argentine midfielder struck it from just a metre away. However, Antonio Rodríguez, the Xolos goalkeeper, managed to save the ball, keeping the scores level.
The decisive moments came deep into stoppage time. Imanol Ordóñez conceded a penalty for Tigres in the 92nd minute, bringing down Adonis Preciado inside the area. Mourad El Ghezouani stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick and successfully converted it, giving Xolos a 2-1 lead.
Mourad El Ghezouani secured Xolos’ third goal in the 97th minute to complete his brace. This came after a play where Fernando Gorriarán inadvertently struck the ball against his own knee from three-quarters of the pitch away. The ball then ended up in Nahuel Guzmán’s goal by chance, completing a dramatic 3-1 victory for Xolos.
Looking Ahead to Jornada 2
For Jornada 2, Tijuana are set to host León on Friday, 24th July, with an 8:00 PM kick-off at the Estadio Caliente. Meanwhile, Tigres will welcome Atlético San Luis on Saturday, 25th July, at 7:00 PM at the Estadio Universitario, seeking to bounce back from their opening day defeat.