Tijuana Xolos fall 5-0 to Tigres UANL in quarterfinal return-leg
Credit: Jeremy Collins(XoloGuero)/EVT Sports
The Tijuana Xolos played the return-leg of the quarterfinal series against Tigres UANL this Saturday, November 29. Club Tijuana had defeated Tigres 3-0 in the first-leg of this series at the Estadio Caliente.
This was a very surprising result for the Border City Dogs as the team played nearly a perfect game at home. However, Tigres also looked very weak and inconsistent offensively in that initial match.
Manager Sebastian Abreu made one change to his starting 11 as Domingo Blanco replaced Kevin Castaneda. Tigres went for a very offensive lineup as the team from Nuevo Leon needed at least three goals to advance to the next round.
Tigres had a very quick start to this game with a goal by Nicolas Ibanez in the 15th minute. Jesus Garza crossed the ball into the box and Ibanez was there to head the ball in the net.
Tigres kept the offense going and earned a penalty kick in the 30th minute. Angel Correa was fouled by Domingo Blanco in the penalty area and Juan Brunetta executed the penalty to perfection for the 2-0 lead.
🤯🚨 DOBLETE DE JUAN BRUNETTA Y TIGRES ESTÁ ELIMINANDO A XOLOS! 🐯
— All Fútbol MX 🇲🇽 (@AllFutbolMX) November 30, 2025
Brunetta scored his second goal of the night in the 39th minute to get that all important third goal for Tigres. The goal came off a very well constructed scoring drive. Angel Correa crossed the ball in to the box and Nico Ibanez provided a headed assist to Brunetta, who headed the sphere in the net.
Los Felinos controlled possession heavily in the first half and had a dominant lead by the end of the initial 45 minutes.
Club Tijuana tried to claw back into the match, but Tigres played an effortless game and continued to score in the second half. In the 68th minute, the home team earned another penalty, but this time Ozziel Herera was denied by goalkeeper Antonio Rodriguez.
The Xolos shot-stopper gave his best effort to try and keep Tijuana in the game with nine saves in the match. However, it was not nearly enough to stop the explosive Tigres offense at “El Volcan”.
Ozziel Herrera redeemed himself in the 74th minute with Tigres’ fourth goal of the night. Fernando Gorriaran was denied by Rodriguez in front of the net, but Herrera was there to head the sphere in the net.
The team from Monterrey scored a fifth goal in stoppage time as Juan Pablo Vigon headed a ball past Rodriguez. Juan Brunetta provided the cross to seal his immense game at the Estadio Universitario.
The game ended 5-0 and with that Xolos’ season also came to a close. It was a season where expectations were surpassed, but it ended in disappointment after a massive 3-0 win in the first-leg of this quarterfinal series.
Manager Sebastian Abreu made a huge impact on this team and it will be interesting to see if the front office decides to invest in a project around this coach.
Gilberto Mora made national news all year long and will surely be the talk around Mexico in the weeks heading into the World Cup. This season was a positive one for Mora and Xolos and for now the future looks bright in the border city town.
Francisco, 28, Chula Vista/Tijuana. I have been a Padres fan all my life, did most of the series previews and recaps in the Padres’ 2016 season for EVT. Now I focus more on the local soccer scene. Tijuana Xolos, San Diego FC, San Diego Wave. I have covered Liga MX, MLS, Mexico National Team, USWNT, Copa América and European clubs like Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund.