The series between the biggest rivals in Mexican soccer is about to begin, as we are just a few hours away from the opening whistle of the first leg of the Semifinal of the Clausura 2024. Guadalajara culminated its soccer preparation with a morning practice at Verde Valle, in which several essential aspects were worked on in order to face this new Liguilla edition of El Clásico de México in the best possible way.
The knockout stage will not be easy, as in addition to the degree of difficulty that this type of match implies, both teams know each other quite well because this will be the fourth time they have met so far this semester. The balance so far is very even, since out of the 3 games they have played, there is 1 win per side and 1 draw.
Now, let's talk about the two matches to be played this week, and what the Rebaño Sagrado must do to come out on top in the series and reach the Grand Final. Below we will analyze the general outlook.
For Chivas, it will be fundamental to control the match by controlling possession of the ball, as they must avoid counter-transitions as much as possible, as that is where the Azulcrema team is strong. Another of the points that the Rebaño will have to maintain firmly is its effective defense of the box, in which it has shown a very outstanding evolution in the last 2 months and which has allowed it to keep its goal unbeaten in 7 of the last 8 matches.
If Guadalajara can maintain their outstanding concentration in the off-the-ball phases, they will be able to avoid being hurt, as they did in the El Clasico de Mexico on Matchday 12. On the other hand, it will be vital for every player on the field to win their defensive duels, as the Rebaño's opponent has players with dribbling ability and that will be a crucial aspect to neutralize.
With the ball, there are several points to consider, as something that hurts América is when they attack the backs of their fullbacks due to the height they tend to gain. On the other hand, Chivas will have to polish their decision making in the final third, as they have generated many scoring chances that they have not been able to crystallize due to the final pass of the play.
One of the problems that plagued Guadalajara in the CONCACAF Champions Cup series was the way they handled the first leg of the match after Chiverío fell behind in that game and ended up with an irretrievable disadvantage, which is why they will have to handle emotions with maturity and seek to gain an advantage at the Akron Stadium.
