- Tigres are 6th in the table with 20 points after 14 rounds of Liga MX, while Necaxa are 12th with 16 points.
- Tigres are 1.95 favorites for the 3 points on Saturday with Necaxa 3.6 and the draw 3.55.
- In the head-to-head, Tigres have won 16 of 35 in the modern era, losing 9 and drawing 10.
Pizarro’s possession-based approach
Club Tigres de la UANL are in the Liguilla hunt once more, but have been dropping points on the road in the league that have prevented them from finishing closer to the top of the table. Guido Pizarro’s side lost 1-2 at FC Juárez in their last away game, before a 1-1 draw at Club América, a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Tijuana and a confidence-boosting 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders in a CONCACAF match. This Necaxa vs Club Tigres de la UANL preview comes as they return to Liga MX with a convincing 4-1 victory over Guadalajara and the side look in good shape.
Pizarro’s playing style is based around possession, tempo control, patience, width and selective pressing to create overloads and exploit space. The Necaxa vs Club Tigres de la UANL prediction is that Tigres have the talent to play in this manner with veteran captain Pizarro pulling the strings, but they also have the quality to do damage in transition and have the experience and firepower to put opponents away late in games, as they proved late against Guadalajara. André-Pierre Gignac remains their talisman, a player capable of scoring a vital goal at any time, providing an aerial target and serving as a late-game threat.
Tigres also possess the luxury of a talented attacking midfielder in Ángel Correa, who can provide goals and assists from the first whistle and has chipped in with both recently. Correa’s quality could be the key to the game if the visitors can unlock the Necaxa defence. Juan Brunetta and Marcelo Flores provide plenty of attacking thrust and cover on the wings, so this Tigres side looks stacked.
Necaxa’s pressing and transitions
Tigres will face a different kind of opponent on Saturday than they have in the past few weeks as Uruguayan coach Martín Varini has created a pragmatic, compact, counter-pressing side with a tactical identity at Necaxa. They play with intensity, rotate their positions and shape to confuse opponents and move the ball quickly to exploit open spaces. Necaxa’s home wins in their last five games have been by 2-1 and 3-0 margins, but they have also drawn 0-0 at Puebla and lost 1-3 at Querétaro.
Javier Ruiz continues to be the main man for Necaxa, scoring a brace in their 3-0 victory over Tijuana, but he needs the ball played in by Alexis Peña and Badaloni from midfield. They will need to be on the button here as our Necaxa vs Club Tigres de la UANL prediction is that Tigres are the better side on paper and will be looking to keep the game under control.
Tigres’ attacking talent to tell
Necaxa are not a bad side, but they are streaky and Tigres have the better quality and depth, so I expect the visitors to edge this contest, although Necaxa’s energy and urgency at home, combined with Ruiz’s current form, will keep it tight. The over 2.5 goals market is an attractive option at 1.8 for this matchup, but I will take a small play on Tigres in the Draw no Bet category as the main selection, as they have enough talent to see off Necaxa if the tempo suits them. For those looking for insights, the Necaxa vs Club Tigres de la UANL betting tips would suggest prioritizing Tigres' quality up front.
Tigres had a 4-1 win over Guadalajara, so midweek CONCACAF action could factor in the form of one or more players and give Necaxa a chance. A large part of Tigres’ recent success has been down to their ability to turn games around in the 2nd half with a flurry of goals, so the Necaxa vs Club Tigres de la UANL prediction is to play on the hosts to at least push the leaders late in the second half if Tigres are in control.
