Game: Santos Laguna vs Tijuana Xolos

Where: Estadio TSM Corona, Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico

When: Sunday, March 12, 2023

Time: 6:05 p.m. PST

TV: Fox Sports 2, Fox Soccer Plus

The Tijuana Xolos will travel to the Estadio TSM Corona to face Santos Laguna in the 11th round of matches in the Liga MX 2023 Clausura season.

Club Tijuana has struggled heavily on the road this season, with no wins, three losses, and a draw as the visiting team.

Since the hiring of manager Miguel Herrera, the Xolitzcuintles have lost their only two games played away from home against Club America and Chivas de Guadalajara. Herrera has achieved some positive results at the Estadio Caliente but must get some points on the road at some point in the season. This is set to be a tough task, but Santos Laguna has suffered some huge defeats at home as this is a very manageable game.

Los Guerreros have a 5-0 loss to Toluca and a 3-0 loss to Tigres UANL at the Estadio Corona TSM and are coming off a 2-0 loss to Chivas away from home. Santos has had a similar season to Xolos as the team from Torreon is currently in 11th place on the Liga MX table, while Club Tijuana is in 12th place.

The border city side is coming off a 1-1 draw against Atlas at home and is currently on a two-game undefeated streak. Tijuana’s backline has specifically been in fine form as of late, with excellent performances by Lisandro Lopez, Nicolas Diaz, and goalkeeper Antonio Rodriguez.

The Aztec Canines’ attack has remained inconsistent, but it has looked a lot more stable with Lucas Cavallini upfront working with Alexis Canelo. Joaquin Montecinos and Rodrigo Godinez are both also set to return from injury for this game, as Montecinos is a key player for Miguel Herrera’s offense.

“Piojo” has switched up his tactics depending on the game but is likely to deploy a five-man backline as Santos plays with two strikers up top consisting of Harold Preciado and Javier Correa. Preciado has the potential to create some problems for Tijuana’s backline with his speed, along with winger Juan Brunetta, who is one of the key playmakers for Santos.

A win has the potential to propel either team into the top eight on the Liga MX table, as this is set to be a hard-fought match at the Estadio TSM Corona.

Players to watch

Antonio Rodriguez

The Mexican goalkeeper has been amazing this season and has been crucial in  Club Tijuana’s last two games, which resulted in four points for the border city side. Rodriguez has made a total of 15 saves in Xolos’ last three games, as he has been one of the best shot-stoppers in the league.

Carlos Acevedo

Both goalkeepers will be motivated to put in a good performance for this match as both shot-stoppers are battling for playing time on the Mexican national team. Carlos Acevedo has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Liga MX over the last few seasons and, at 26 years old, is expected to be the starting goalkeeper for Mexico in the next World Cup.

Prediction

This game between Xolos and Santos has the potential to either be a high-scoring bout or a low-scoring affair with the goalkeepers in question. EVT predicts that both goalkeepers will be a factor in this match, and the final result will be a 1-1 draw at the Estadio TSM Corona.

Francisco Velasco

Francisco, 26, 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 Loyal, San Diego Wave.