Tigres boss Siboldi expected more from Chivas

Los Tigres and Chivas drew in the first leg of the Clausura 2023 grand final with a goalless result, which left Robert Dante Siboldi disappointed as he expected more from his opponents at this stage.

The Uruguayan coach emphasized that his team performed at the level expected of such an important match, while the rojiblancos did what they had to do, successfully achieving their objective of not conceding a goal.

Siboldi: “The tie is still open”

“We would have preferred to win. There was a formidable opponent in front of us who earned their place in this stage for a reason. We did our best with the resources we had, but we lacked the opportunity to convert our chances and secure a victory to take a favorable result into the next game. The tie is still open,” expressed Siboldi after the game.

He further asserted that his team demonstrated superiority on the field, with the rival solely focused on obtaining a result that would keep them in the running for their objective. In his opinion, they received more credit than deserved for their defensive strategy, and he still believes that the series is undecided. He drew parallels with their previous away game against Rayados and emphasized the need to go out and win.

Looking ahead to the next leg, Siboldi hopes for a stronger approach from Guadalajara, especially when playing in front of their home crowd. He anticipates that they will be more proactive in search of a goal, providing Tigres with the opportunity to exploit spaces on the field.

“I believe they will come out with a more attacking approach, seeking to score. This will also open up spaces that we didn’t have today. We struggled with our passing in the first half, but we improved in the second half. We made attempts and put pressure on the opponent’s goal.

“Tactically, they didn’t create many chances against us. I hope they adopt a more offensive stance so that we can find those spaces,” he added.

What happened with Gignac?

Regarding André Pierre-Gignac’s substitution, which surprised many fans when they saw the departure of their star striker, Siboldi explained that it was a decision based on Gignac’s exhaustion. The experienced player had already played numerous games (29) throughout the campaign, and signs of fatigue were evident. Siboldi felt it was necessary to give other teammates an opportunity to contribute, even though Gignac hadn’t scored in the match.

Gignac was substituted in the 68th minute, replaced by Nicolás López, and his presence added a more direct approach to the auriazul offensive in the final minutes. He remains just one goal away from equalling Humberto Suazo as the second-highest scorer in Liga MX title brackets.