Club America prepares to host Chivas in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16. The stakes are higher than ever as the team looks for a ticket into the next round of the competition. After a commanding 3-0 victory in the first leg, America look to seal Chivas fate at the Estadio Azteca. While Chivas faces an uphill battle to overturn the deficit in an almost impossible task ahead of them. This match continues to be more than just a ticket to the next round. It’s the latest chapter the fiercest rivalry in Mexican football and in the entire Concacaf region.
Preview: Club America vs Chivas Second Leg Clash in the Concacaf Champions Cup
Read More: Club America Dominates Chivas: Concacaf Champions Cup Analysis
Setting the Stage for the Second Leg
The floodlight at the Azteca will be out in full force come Wednesday night for the midweek Clasico De Mexico return leg. Club America look to kill off Chivas and their aspirations of clinching international glory this season. With a comfortable three goal cushion Las Aguilas know their opposition need a total of four goals to over turn the result. Meaning the game is theirs to control and dictate. Maintaining their defensive solidity and exploiting the spaces Chivas leaves when they push forward will be the key for America to come out on top. All eyes will be on André Jardine’s side and how they play out the remaining 90-minutes and if their able to continue their good run of form.
Quedan 90 minutos por delante. 💪
𝟖𝐯𝐨𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥, 𝐕𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚 🆚 Chivas#ElClásicoDeMéxico 🦅 pic.twitter.com/uSlECWAGNi
— Club América (@ClubAmerica) March 11, 2024
Club America’s Approach
Jardine surprised everyone this past weekend playing a fully rotated squad ahead of the Concacaf Champions Cup second leg. In a game where you’re three goals up you would imagine the winning team would be a bit more relaxed. Yet it doesn’t seem to be the case for Club America in this match. Everything points to a star studded starting eleven come Wednesday as America will look to adopt a balanced attacking approach. Maintaining possession and controlling the pace of the game, while also capitalizing on any counter-attacking opportunities that arise. With a three-goal cushion the team will look to put the game away with an early goal. Making the comeback for Chivas just that much more out of reach.
Defensive Solidarity Will Be Key
At the moment, Club America stand as the best defensive team in Liga MX with only six goals conceded in a span of eleven games. They’ve registered seven clean sheets in league play and two in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Come Wednesday, this team will have to lean into these recent trends as defensively speaking its gonna be a fiercely contested match. Chivas need three goals to take the game into overtime and four to advance so they will be coming out with full force. That means Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez will be starting and looking to cause trouble. Chivas will try to flood America’s backline with a number of attacking players. So who ever is tasked to start at center back for America will need to play a well rounded game.
Last Word
Club America and Chivas gear up for their second leg in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Fans can expect a match full of intensity, drama, and quality football between these two giants. With a place in the quarterfinals at stake, both teams will be eager to assert their dominance and write the next chapter in their storied rivalry. Chivas will look to attack, while America must rely on their defense and exploit any space given to them.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports, of an Estadio Azteca Headshot, on April 29, 2023.
