This Wednesday, the Gallos Blancos faced a tough defeat at home against the Xolos, losing 1-2 in the second round of the Clausura. Tijuana established a solid lead of 2-0 with goals scored by Unai Bilbao and Kevin Castañeda. Bilbao found the net just two minutes into the second half, followed by Castañeda’s strike in the 25th minute of the same period. Despite Querétaro’s attempts to turn the game around, they could only manage a solitary goal through Ali Ávila from the penalty spot at the 44th minute.
In the first half, Tijuana came close to scoring when Castañeda’s shot hit the post, leaving the team yearning to celebrate an early goal.
Kevin Castañeda was undoubtedly the standout player of the match. The Tijuana midfielder not only scored one goal but also made three attempts on goal, showcasing his offensive prowess.
Defensively, Unai Bilbao made an impact as well, contributing to his team’s performance by scoring and clearing two dangerous balls out of the area.
Querétaro’s coach, Esteban González, set the team up in a 4-5-1 formation, with Guillermo Allison guarding the goal; the defensive line included Jaime Gómez, Lucas Abascia, Diego Reyes, and Francisco Venegas; in midfield were Santiago Homenchenko, Jean Unjanque, Fernando González, Lucas Rodríguez, and Michael Carcelén; Ali Ávila led the attack.
Tijuana’s strategist, Sebastián Abreu, opted for the same 4-5-1 setup, featuring Antonio Rodríguez in goal, supported by Rafael Fernández, Jackson Porozo, Unai Bilbao, and Jesús Vega in defense; Jesús Gómez, Iván Tona, Ignacio Rivero, Kevin Castañeda, and Adonis Preciado took charge of the midfield; Mourad El Ghezouani was the lone striker.
The match referee was Karen Hernández Andrade, overseeing a competitive encounter at Estadio La Corregidora.
Looking ahead, Querétaro will travel to face Chivas in their next match, while Tijuana will host Atlético San Luis.
With this result, Querétaro remains with just 1 point in the tournament, occupying the 15th place. In contrast, Tijuana climbs to 4 points, situating themselves in the 2nd position.
Substitutions for Querétaro
56’ 2T – Fernando González out for Mateo Coronel, Michael Carcelén out for Carlo García
65’ 2T – Lucas Rodríguez out for Jhojan Julio
78’ 2T – Jean Unjanque out for Waldo Madrid, Jaime Gómez out for Eduardo Pérez
Bookings for Querétaro:
40’ 1T – Ali Ávila (Unsporting behavior), 0’ 2T – Michael Carcelén (Unsporting behavior), 5’ 2T – Lucas Abascia (Arguing with an opponent)
Substitutions for Tijuana
75’ 2T – Kevin Castañeda out for Ramiro Árciga
91’ 2T – Mourad El Ghezouani out for Pablo Ortíz
Bookings for Tijuana:
13’ 1T – Rafael Fernández (Unsporting behavior), 9’ 2T – Adonis Preciado (Unsporting behavior)