Guard1anes 2020 Liga MX Final 1st leg preview: Pumas vs Leon
After making one of the biggest comebacks in the Mexican league history, Pumas once again is against dire predictions as they will face León in the final of the Apertura 2020 tournament.
Pumas will try to silence these voices starting Thursday night when they host La Fiera at Estadio Olympico in the capital in the first leg of the final. The 2nd leg will be on Sunday night at León’s stadium.
It may be the most convenient role for the Universitarios, who is coming off a 4-0 upset in the semifinals versus Cruz Azul.
Supported by a strong performance from Argentine forward Juan Dinenno, Pumas beat Cruz Azul 4-0 last Sunday at their stadium. This leveled the semifinal at 4-4, reaching the final thanks to their best position in the table where they were second. They will no longer have that factor in their favor in the title series, forced to beat a Leon who was dominant throughout the tournament and finished eight points ahead of them in the standings to finish first.
Led by Ignacio Ambriz, León has been one of the best teams in Mexico in the last two years but has not reflected it in their showcases with titles. La Fiera reached the final of the Clausura 2019 and lost to Tigres. He was also surprised by Morelia in the quarterfinals of the Apertura 2019.
In this final, León will also seek the eighth title in his history, the first since the Clausura 2014. If the team succeeds, Los Panzas Verdes will join a select group of teams that have been crowned after being the best in the regular season. Since 1996, only Toluca (Summer 98, Summer 99 and Summer 2000), Pachuca (Clausura 2006 and Clausura 2009), Santos (Clausura 2012), and América (Apertura 2014) have achieved it. León added 40 points in the current tournament and remained one point from tying the franchise record set in last year’s Clausura. Three from emulating the mark for short tournaments, 43, set by America in the 2002 Apertura. This is set up for an exciting final with the two top teams in LIGA MX. Leon is the favorite, but UNAM’s defense is ready for the task at hand. For this 1st leg, a tie is what I see predict, and the final will be decided on the final game this coming Sunday in Leon’s backyard.
