This Thursday, the Akron Stadium witnessed a brutal soccer exhibition by Guadalajara, as they were far superior to Pumas during the match, which allowed them to take the advantage in the first leg of the Quarter-Finals of the Apertura 2023. However, the key is still open, as 90 minutes remain in Ciudad Universitaria.
Chiverío's collective performance was quite outstanding and we will now take a closer look at the Rebaño's performance and each of its players.
General analysis
The Guadalajara side dominated the game from the very first minute thanks to their behavior with and without the ball. The Rebaño pressured the Universidad universitarios quite well, which led to several turnovers by Mohamed's team. In addition, the way in which the midfielders of the Red and White team complemented each other helped the team to flow in the opponent's field and, as a result, they generated many dangerous chances.
Pumas was blurred because Guadalajara closed many passing lines and, through intense and intelligent pressure, managed to nullify the players who normally accelerate the rhythm with their ability. For example, Mozo and 'Oso' alternated well in the chase against Huerta and on the other flank, Calderón and Gutiérrez neutralized Salvio.
The red and white center backs also gave a lot to talk about, as Briseño won all the aerial balls from 'Toro' Fernández, while Chiquete led the ball out and won several disputes in the open field. Chivas' full-backs also performed well in their attacking play, as Mozo played well on the short side and 'Chicote' broke up the match with his drive down the flank that ended in a goal.
The most outstanding players
All Guadalajara players stood out in this match, among them Fernando Beltrán, who scored a great goal and led the team for most of the match, but here we will talk about 3 other players who gave a tremendous performance.
- Erick Gutiérrez: The left-footed midfielder gave a match that few others can match, as he stole many balls thanks to his pressure and protected Rubén González's back when necessary. With the ball he was a scandal, as he made use of his tremendous left foot with long shots and behind the backs of the university players. In addition, 'Guti' found several passes between the lines that bent the Puma midfield.
- Ricardo Marín: The Chivas attacker gave a master class in playing with his back to the goal, as he held back many balls and left those arriving from the second line facing him. One of the most outstanding things about Ricardo was that he always got something out of every intervention, because when he could not dribble or pass the ball, he got fouls. He was denied a goal, but his performance brings him closer to scoring, without a doubt.
- Rubén González: El 'Oso' is an all-rounder, as he absorbs a lot of meters on the field and makes the job easier for several of his teammates. The Rebaño midfielder came close to scoring his goal with a right-footed shot that the university goalkeeper denied.
