Tigres, Club America all square after 1st leg of Apertura final

theScore Staff

1d ago

MARIA CALLS / AFP / Getty

Goals from Andre-Pierre Gignac and Bruno Valdez, one on either side of the half-time interval, saw Tigres and Club America play to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Apertura final on Thursday.

Despite controlling the bulk of the match, America – who could yet go on to rue a missed penalty by Mexican star Oribe Peralta – needed a 67th-minute tally from Valdez to salvage a draw, as the host side went behind late in the opening half after a wondrous run from French international Gignac.

The hefty attacker blew by the America backline before proceeding to nutmeg onrushing goalkeeper Moises Munoz, giving Tigres a potentially decisive away goal as the clock ticked towards the 45-minute mark.

Valdez poked home a loose ball inside the penalty area to level the contest, the Paraguayan pouncing after he was left unmarked from a corner kick.

Despite that equalizer, Ricardo Ferretti’s men will be full of confidence as they head home for Sunday’s second leg; Tigres is yet to lose at the Estadio Universitario during the postseason.

Ferretti will be sweating over the fitness of Gignac, however, as the striker was removed from Thursday’s contest in the latter stages after sustaining a neck injury in a collision with Valdez.

Related: Tigres could be without Gignac for Apertura final 2nd leg