LAFC vs Tigres UANL Odds and Preview: CONCACAF Champions League Final
- LAFC are the first MLS club to reach Champions League final since Toronto FC two years ago
- Tigres UANL have lost three of the past four Champions League finals and have never won the competition
- Read on for a full preview, betting odds and a best bet for Tuesday’s game
If the odds are against Bob Bradley’s Los Angeles FC in beating Mexico’s Tigres UANL and joining DC United and the Los Angeles Galaxy as the only Major League Soccer teams to claim CONCACAF supremacy, his team has seemed quite comfortable upsetting the odds.
In getting to Tuesday’s final LAFC are the first team in MLS to eliminate three Mexican sides along the way, most recently in Saturday’s 3-1 semifinal victory over Club America. That win earned them a shot at a fourth, with a first-ever meeting against three-times runners-up Tigres UANL on Tuesday, December 22, at 10:00 pm ET.
The winner will not only claim the silverware and bragging rights, but also a coveted berth in the rescheduled 2020 FIFA Club World Cup, and will take on the likes of UEFA Champions League winner Bayern Munich this coming February in Qatar. Regulation odds and our preview can be found below. As for outright odds, Tigres are tipped as slight favorites to win the match by any means at -117, with LAFC is listed at -112.
LAFC vs Tigres UANL Odds
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline (Regulation) | Total (Regulation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAFC vs Tigres UANL | LA +0.5 (-195) | UANL -0.5 (+143) | LA +165 | UANL +145 DRAW +260 |
Ov 2.5 (-139) | Un 2.5 (+102) |
All odds taken Dec. 21 at DraftKings
History Weighs Against LAFC
Since the CONCACAF Champions Cup tournament began in 1962, including since it morphed into the Champions League in 2008, Mexican clubs have claimed ultimate victory on 35 occasions. United States/MLS clubs have done so exactly twice, most recently in 2000, eight years before the current Champions League format was born.
Tuesday can't come soon enough 🔥 #SCCL2020 pic.twitter.com/jlx50O55cq
— Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (@TheChampions) December 20, 2020
Since then three MLS clubs have reached the final, and fallen at the last hurdle each time. Real Salt Lake lost 3-2 on aggregate to Monterrey in 2011, the Montreal Impact fell 5-3 to Club América In 2015, and most agonizingly of all, Toronto FC lost 4-2 on penalties to Guadalajara in 2018, and two years on, Michael Bradley’s skied penalty has likely still yet to reach the apex of its trajectory.
The numbers of @LAFC's victory over @ClubAmerica to qualify to the #SCCL2020 final. pic.twitter.com/EWGvzyAGOw
— Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (@TheChampions) December 20, 2020
So in its third season of existence, LAFC will have it all to do if it is to add another piece of silverware to go with last year’s Supporters’ Shield.
LAFC Showing Resilience
Unlike some of their MLS Cup playoff showings, where they have meekly bowed out to sometimes inferior opponents, LAFC have shown a real backbone in this CONCACAF Champions League run. Not only have they achieved an MLS first in eliminating three Mexican clubs along the way, but on each occasion, they have come from behind to do so.
3⃣ times we’ve been down to Mexican giants.
3⃣ times we’ve come back to win. 😤 pic.twitter.com/BY0De1kzrm— LAFC (@LAFC) December 21, 2020
LAFC recovered from a 2-0 first-leg hole against Club Leon to win the home leg at Banc of California Stadium 3-0 to advance. Then with the resumption of the tournament with single-legged ties following the COVID-19 pandemic pause, they bounced back from an early goal against to win 2-1 against Cruz Azul, before overcoming a 1-0 halftime deficit on Saturday to run out a 3-1 winner.
3️⃣ @LigaBBVAMX teams down. Let’s make it 4️⃣. #LAFC
— LAFC (@LAFC) December 20, 2020
LAFC vs Tigres UANL Champions League Stats
| 8 | Goals Scored | 13 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 4 |
| 28 | Shots on Target | 33 |
| 14.6% | Shooting Percentage | 15.8% |
| 88.8% | Passing Percentage | 83.8% |
| 351.5 | Average Passes Per Game | 477.2 |
| 73 | Fouls Committed | 55 |
Vela, Gignac In Spotlight
Going into Tuesday’s final, the spotlight is clearly on the No. 1 strikers for both teams, who just so happen to be tied for the CONCACAF Champions League goalscoring lead with five apiece.
45:13 ⏩ 46:25 @11carlosV only needed 72 (!!!) seconds to turn the game on it's head last night and lead @LAFC to the #SCCL2020 final pic.twitter.com/EfvZBpybmc
— Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (@TheChampions) December 20, 2020
Carlos Vela needs little introduction to fans of LAFC and those of MLS as a whole. The Mexican has scored 62 goals in 79 games for Los Angeles, for a 0.79 goals-per-game average, and has five of LAFC’s eight Champions League goals this season.
André-Pierre Gignac is almost as prolific. As Tigres’ all-time top scorer, he has 142 goals in 242 games, and he has scored two goals in the club’s three previous trips to the Champions League final. The Frenchman is also the team’s all-time top scorer in the Champions League, with 13 goals in 22 games. He scored a pair of penalties in Tigres’ 3-0 semifinal win over CD Olimpia of Honduras.
Gol y doblete de Gignac 🐯⚽⚽
APG scores his second penalty of the game, for his fifth goal of the tournament.
🇲🇽 #Tigres 2-0 #Olimpia 🇭🇳#CCL #SCCL2020pic.twitter.com/P1muQ49GiY
— Joga Bonito (@Jasoninho10) December 20, 2020
Of his five goals this campaign, three were penalties, and interestingly, all were scored between the 15th and 60th minutes of games.
I’m giving the edge to LAFC in this one to break the poor streak of MLS sides in the finals of this competition. They will as well, for what it’s worth, have a “home” advantage, with the match being played in the United States at Exploria Stadium in Orlando.
Pick: LAFC (+165)
For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
