Chivas' start to the Apertura 2023 could not have been better. They’ve defeated two opponents that are usually very complicated and did so with a couple of good footballing displays, confirming the great moment Veljko Paunovic's team has been experiencing since last season.
Beyond the result, which ended in favor of Guadalajara by 3-1, we present a detailed analysis of the 3 keys to the red and white triumph.
1. Chivas has recognizable patterns
Guadalajara have managed to take a step forward in their pattern of play, as they are capable of repeatedly finding ways to score goals. The good start of 'Chicote' Calderón has allowed them to find depth on the left flank, as he compensates for Yael Padilla's movements inside. The second goal is a clear example of this.
Another virtue in the performance of the Guadalajara squad is the way in which they manage and distribute space in the area. Ricardo Marín has been key to this, and although he has not yet made his debut as the red and white striker, his mobility to drag defenders and generate space has been vital. Don't you believe us? Check out the screen he makes in the first two Chivas goals.
2. Pauno's adjustments
After the expulsion of 'Chelo' Zaldívar very early in the match, Atlético San Luis modified their structure and attacking methods, so Veljko Paunovic responded by raising the height of the red and white offensive block. Thus, in the final stretch of the first half, Guadalajara managed to score 2 goals.
In the second half the panorama was different, as the Potosinos took advantage of the speed and strength of their attackers to demonstrate that they would be dangerous in the open field. For this reason, Pauno made another change and placed Fernando Beltrán as a midfielder in order to regain control and fluency, and thus limit the only dangerous weapon left to the visitors.
Yael Padilla took his natural position as an inside midfielder alongside 'Pocho' Guzmán to bring on Brigido on the left. With these moves, Chiverío ended up tying Atlético de San Luis' hands.
3. The individual always benefits the collective
There are players who are experiencing spectacular moments and have assumed a leading role that has allowed Chivas to raise its competitive ceiling. We will give 5 clear examples of this: Ricardo Marín, Yael Padilla, Fernando Beltrán, Jesús Brigido and Isaac Brizuela.
All 5 are being used in roles that favor them and help them to enhance their virtues. Yael and Beltrán have even managed to play in areas that are not usual for them and even so, they are exploiting their conditions to the maximum.
Padilla is not used to playing on the outside, but he has been given the freedom to invade areas on the inside and thus be able to finish plays with his extraordinary strike. For his part, 'Nene' has been playing a lot of minutes as a holding midfielder, something that has not happened in a long time (except for some lapses in the CL23 Liguilla) and it has been good for him to carry the weight of organizing Chivas' play.
The 10 most relevant facts about Chivas against Atlético San Luis:
- Generated 16 shots, 9 were inside the box.
- He hit 87.3% of the passes.
- Despite not being the area referent, Yael Padilla had the most shots (4).
- Chicote' and Marín generated the most chances (3).
- Calderón and Beltrán were the players who recovered the most balls, with 12 and 9 respectively.
- Nene' was the player who had the most interventions with the ball in the game, registering 88.
- Víctor Guzmán was the player who completed the most passes in the opponent's field (19).
- Gilberto Sepúlveda was the player with the most successful passes (66).
- Brizuela, Brigido and Padilla were the red and white players with the most completed dribbles (2).
- Against Atlético de San Luis, Chivas completed 487 passes, while against León they only completed 221.
