By Justin Ruderman
Tigres sit atop the LIGA MX Phase One table with six points and can clinch the No. 1 seed heading into the quarterfinals with a win in Los Angeles.
HEAD TO HEAD
- 3rd meeting all-time
- These sides faced off in the 2020 Concacaf Champions Cup final and 2023 Campeones Cup. Tigres won on both occasions.
- Record at Leagues Cup: Tigres UANL (8-2), LAFC (8-4)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- TIgres UANL
- 4 Wins, 0 Draws, 1 Loss
- Have dominated thus far as the top Liga MX team in Leagues Cup 2025. Have wins over Houston and San Diego by a combined score of 6-2
- Los Angeles FC
- 2 Wins, 1 Draw, 2 Losses
- Have gone to penalty shootout in both games this tournament (1-1)
MAIN STORYLINES
- Finalists in last year’s tournament, can the Black & Gold sneak into the Leagues Cup 2025 knockout stages? They’ll need a win and some help.
- Tigres top the LIGA MX Phase One table heading into the final match as the only team to net a perfect six points in their first two games. Is nine for nine on the cards?
- After transitioning from player to coach midseason last year with over 400 appearances for the club under his belt, Tigres manager Guido Pizarro has led his side to a perfect 4-0-0 in his first four matches across all competitions this season.
- LAFC talisman Denis Bouanga and Tigres legend André-Pierre Gignac may be good friends off the pitch, but once the whistle blows, each is an unforgiving competitor.
- Tigres beat LAFC in the 2020 Concacaf Champions Cup final 2-1 in Orlando and the 2023 Campeones Cup in penalties at BMO Stadium. Can LAFC get revenge or will Universitarios continue inflicting pain on the Black & Gold by knocking them out of Leagues Cup 2025?
KEY FACTORS
- LAFC
- Denis Bouanga remains the all-time Leagues Cup top scorer (13) and top goal contributor (18) ahead of Lionel Messi (10 goals and 13 contributions). Following his goal against Pachuca, the Gabonese international told me he intends to extend that lead.
- With legendary French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris absent as he obtains his green card, backups David Ochoa and Thomas Hasal each got a start in the Black & Gold’s first two Leagues Cup matches. Whichever gets the nod Tuesday night will need to deliver.
- Both MLS veteran striker Jeremy Ebobisse and 19-year-old Venezuelan phenom David Martínez are having underwhelming goalscoring seasons with three league goals apiece. Bouanga will need their help against Tigres.
- Tigres UANL
- Ángel Correa is the lone top scorer in Leagues Cup 2025 with two consecutive braces following his blockbuster move from LaLiga giants Atlético Madrid. Can he score in all three Phase One matches?
- Age is just a number for legendary Universitarios goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán. At 39, El Patón is still a menace between the pipes with tons of ability, and especially if the game goes to penalties, some antics too.
- The 2023/24 LIGA MX Balón de Oro winner as the league’s best player, Juan Brunetta, has an assist in each of Tigres' first two Leagues Cup matches. What will the creative midfielder cook up in Los Angeles?
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Tigres look to finish a perfect 3-0 Phase One of Leagues Cup 2025. Meanwhile, LAFC's path to the Knockout Round looks more complicated. Currently 12th in the MLS Phase One table with three points, they’re still alive — especially if they manage a win on Tuesday night — but their fate is no longer entirely in their hands.
Still, the Black & Gold will be hungry for revenge against a Tigres side that has denied them two trophies over the past five years.
Both teams are expected to be without their primary strikers — Nathan Ordaz (suspension) for LAFC and Nicolás Ibáñez (injury) for Tigres — but each squad still boasts plenty of firepower, led by stars Denis Bouanga and Ángel Correa, respectively. And there’s no shortage of experience in midfield and defense, with both clubs consistently competing at the top of their respective leagues year after year.
Everything is set for another heavyweight showdown at BMO Stadium on Tuesday night — a classic MLS vs. LIGA MX rivalry matchup between two of the strongest teams in North America. If this one doesn’t get the adrenaline pumping, I’m not sure what will.
