It was a great night for the Rojiblanco Nation, as Chivas managed to display their best footballing performance to overcome Pumas, specifically in the second half, and beat them 3-1, on Matchday 8 of the Clausura 2024. The match left several things to analyze and, below, we will explain the keys to this important victory for the Rebaño, who are already thinking about Cruz Azul, their opponent next Saturday in the red-and-white capital.
General analysis
After an uncertain start to the match, Guadalajara managed to gain a foothold on the field and minimize the threat generated by Pumas' attackers. The Rebaño took control of the ball and sought to cause concern on the left flank, where Cowell was able to win several individual duels. The first half forced Fernando Gago's team to show their best off the ball, both in their half and in the opponent's half.
The second half brought a very different story, as the Red and Whites charged their attacks to the right flank and were able to string together sequences of passes that broke the university's defense. With the advantage and the unexpected penalty, Chivas showed the necessary maturity to knead the ball and kill the desired rhythm to the actions.
Highlights
- Something Guadalajara had been lacking in terms of punch and, against the Felinos, they knew how to strike at the right time by using variants, such as short associations in the first goal, fixed tactics in the second, and dribbling in the final goal.
- Chivas proposed a line of 4 without the ball and a line of 3 with the ball to allow Mozo to take height and Chiquete to join the 2 central defenders. The second half gave us more fluidity in this behavior that Fernando Gago's team gave us.
- Leonardo Sepúlveda showed a lot of maturity and soccer skills in a complex scenario. Let's remember that he had just been sent off in his debut and his way of vindicating himself was simply outstanding.
The MVP
Roberto Alvarado: Undoubtedly the best player of the match was 'Piojo', who in addition to the brilliant play he made for the third goal, was able to detect different spaces to attack in the Pumas backline. He shot into space to find Cowell's clearance; he also came close to scoring on a couple of occasions and completed several dribbles.
