In an action-packed opening weekend in Liga MX, 2023 Clausura champions Tigres will take on Puebla at Estadio Universitario (UANL) on Saturday.
Despite a chaotic 2022-23 season which saw three different managers take charge of the first team since February, Tigres turned things around to defeat Guadalajara in the dramatic 2022-23 Clausura final to earn their eighth Liga MX title and fifth in the last decade last time out. Will Tigres be able to hold onto their trophy?
Well, the signs look positive for Robert Siboldi's side as they followed up their league success with more silverware with a 2-1 win over Pachuca in the Campeon de Campeones final last week, meaning they will face MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC on September 27 for the Campeones Cup. If they win that, it would be their third trophy of 2023.
They also reached the semi-final stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, where they came up short against Club Leon. Whether they can improve upon last season remains to be seen, but they will want to begin their Liga MX title defence in style, especially in front of their fanatic home crowd.
Puebla, on the other hand, will seek retribution this weekend against Tigres after the hosts eliminated Los Camoteros in the reclassification phase of 2022-23 Clausura.
Under the charge of up-and-coming manager Eduardo Arce, the visitors will be looking to make significant progress in terms of their league-table position in the regular phase after finishing mid-table in both Apertura and Clausura last season.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Tigres vs Puebla kick-off time
| Date: | July 1, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT |
| Venue: | Estadio Universitario |
The Liga MX Apertura game between Tigres and Puebla will be played at Estadio Universitario in Monterrey City on Saturday, July 1st. Kick-off is set for 9:00 pm Eastern Time (ET), or 6:00 pm Pacific Time (PT).
How to watch Tigres vs Puebla online - TV channels & live streams
 | ViX+ | Watch here |
The game will be available to stream live online through ViX+.
Team news & squads
Tigres team news
Tigres once again start out as favorites to lift the title once again under the guidance of Robert Dante Siboldi, who worked wonders with this team last season.
They were languishing seventh in the Liga MX table with just 21 points when he took over a mess from Marco 'Chima' Ruiz before a fine run of results saw them lift not only Clausura 2023, but also the Champion of Champions trophy more recently.
Siboldi will have to make do without Sebastian Cordova for a while now after the midfielder suffered a setback to a previous muscle injury on international duty. In addition to the 26-year-old, Diego Lainez will also miss the Apertura opener, having been has been called up to join the Mexican National Team at the ongoing Gold Cup as a replacement for the aforementioned Cordova.
The hosts have reinforced their squad with free captures of promising defensive midfielder Eugenio Pizzuto, and goalkeeper Felipe Rodriguez.
37-year-old French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac continues to be an integral part of the felines' attack, having netted 22 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions for the Mexican outfit last season. He led the line last Sunday and is expected to once more this weekend.
Tigres possible XI: Guzman; Garza, Lichnovsky, Caetano, Angulo; Carioca, Vigon; Acquino, Lopez, Quinones; Gignac.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Guzman, Ortega, Rodriguez |
| Defenders: | Garza, Lichnovsky, Caetano, Angulo, Tercero, Reyes, Garza, Lorona |
| Midfielders: | Carioca, Vigon, Ayala, Cordova, Pizzuto, Pizarro |
| Forwards: | Gignac, Aquino, Quinones, Lopez, Ibanez |
Puebla team news
Puebla are still trying to find their footing after the surprise departure of influential manager Nicolas Larcamon to Club Leon last season. Eduardo Arce had a decent start with La Franja, and has been backed in the transfer market as he looks to reshape the squad as per his philosophy.
They have brought in some foreigners such as Kevin Velasco and Bryan Angulo, together with Sebastian Olmedo and Luis Garcia; while Omar Fernandez, Emmanuel Gularte and Anthony Silva, among others, were happily let go.
Puebla possible XI: Rodriguez; Maia, De Buen, Angulo; Robles, P. Gonzalez, Mancuello, Ferrareis; Alvarez, Martinez, Garcia.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Rodriguez, Fraga |
| Defenders: | Maia, De Buen, Angulo, Silva, Pachuca |
| Midfielders: | Orona, Baltazar, P. Gonzalez, Arce, Aguilar, Ferrareis, Mancuello, Zago, Herrera |
| Forwards: | G.Martinez, L. Garcia, Robles, Barragan, D. Alvarez |
Head-to-Head Record
There has been little to separate these sides in the recent clashes, with Tigres edging out with a narrow 1-0 win in the last two games. Both have recorded two wins apiece over the last five games.
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 8/5/23 | Tigres 1-0 Puebla | Clausura 2023 |
| 21/4/23 | Tigres 1-0 Puebla | Clausura 2023 |
| 17/9/22 | Puebla 2-1 Tigres | Apertura 2022 |
| 16/1/22 | Tigres 0-2 Puebla | Clausura 2022 |
| 14/8/21 | Puebla 1-1 Tigres | Apertura 2021 |