Mon May 12 03:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Tigres Eye Semifinal Berth Despite Goalless Draw Against Necaxa
**Monterrey, Mexico** – Tigres UANL salvaged a goalless draw against Necaxa in the first leg of their Liga MX quarterfinal clash, a result their assistant coach, Maximiliano Velázquez, doesn’t view as an advantage. While a draw in the second leg would send Tigres through to the semifinals based on their regular season ranking, Velázquez emphasized the need for improvement and a decisive victory at home.
“We don’t have an advantage,” Velázquez stated. “We’ll be going for the win, with the support of our fans. It’s another match, another opportunity for us to improve and get our revenge. We need to be smarter in this series.”
Velázquez confirmed the return of key players Joaquim Pereira and Rafael Carioca for Sunday’s second leg, adding that Nicolás Ibáñez, who left the game with a knock, is fine and did not require concussion protocol.
The Argentine assistant coach acknowledged the team’s struggles scoring away from home, a concern amplified in the playoffs. Tigres haven’t won a road game since March 1st (against Necaxa) and haven’t scored an away goal since March 4th (against Cincinnati in the Concacaf Champions League). However, he highlighted the positive of keeping a clean sheet against a high-scoring Necaxa side. “We’re working to improve our away scoring,” he concluded, “but we’re also focused on maintaining a strong defense.” The team aims to balance scoring prowess with defensive solidity in the upcoming match.
First Piper 