It's win-or-go-home time in the Clausura 2025 as Necaxa welcome Tigres UANL to Estadio Victoria on Wednesday, May 7, for the first leg of their Liga MX quarterfinal clash. The stakes are sky-high, with the winner of this two-legged showdown earning a spot in the semifinals against either Toluca or Monterrey.
The visitors arrive with something to prove after crashing out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals last week at the hands of Cruz Azul. Now, Tigres are turning their attention fully to the domestic front, looking to shake off that disappointment and mount a title charge in the Liguilla.
Don't sleep on Necaxa: they've quietly built a side capable of catching fire, especially with a front-footed style that mirrors Toluca's aggressive approach, albeit with a bit less polish. Backed by a glitzy ownership group that reads like a red carpet guest list featuring Eva Longoria, Wrexham's Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, ex-Germany star Mesut Ozil, former NBA forward Shawn Marion, and MLB ace Justin Verlander, the club is finally turning celebrity buzz into footballing substance.
In what’s been their strongest campaign since foreign investors came aboard in 2021, Necaxa fired in 36 goals and locked down a fifth-place finish. Much of that credit goes to Nicolás Larcamon, who’s made an instant impact in his debut season at the helm, steering the team to 10 wins and into the playoff spotlight.
The two sides are no strangers. They squared off in Clausura league play on March 1, when Tigres snatched a 2-1 win on Necaxa's turf, the same ground where this quarterfinal series kicks off. That result added to Tigres' recent dominance in the head-to-head, including a 5-2 rout in April and a 1-0 win in July. Necaxa haven't beaten Tigres since April 2022, making this an uphill climb for the underdogs.
The last time these two met in the playoffs was during the 2022 Apertura Round of 16.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
How to watch Necaxa vs Tigres online - TV channels & live streams
 | ViX | Watch here |
The match will be shown live on ViX in the US. Live updates can be found here on GOAL.
How to watch anywhere with VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.
Necaxa vs Tigres kick-off time
The match will be played at the Estadio Victoria in Aguascalientes, Mexico, on Wednesday, May 7, with kick-off at 4:00 pm ET for fans in the US.
Team news & squads
Necaxa vs Tigres lineups
3-4-2-1
Formation
3-5-2
TIGNEC-Line up
NECSubstitutes
Manager
N. Larcamon
TIG-Line up
TIGSubstitutes
Manager
G. Pizarro
Injuries and Suspended players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Necaxa team news
Necaxa are near full strength. Their only injury concern is Agustin Oliveros, who remains a question mark as he continues recovering from a leg issue picked up in early March. Barring surprises, coach Nicolas Larcamon is expected to field an unchanged XI from their previous outing.
Tigres team news
Star striker Andre-Pierre Gignac is touch-and-go with a leg injury and will face a late fitness test. Javier Aquino and Rafael Guerrero are also being monitored after ankle injuries, though both are nearing full recovery.
On the sidelines, Guido Pizarro — recently retired and now the Tigres head coach — won’t be allowed on the bench for the first leg. He’s serving the final match of a three-game suspension picked up during the Clásico Regio on Matchday 15.
There is some good news on the injury front for Tigres: attacker Ozziel Herrera and midfield anchor Rafael Carioca are back in the fold after missing time — Carioca sidelined due to a mouth infection. Creative maestro Juan Brunetta remains the engine of this Tigres team, leading the squad in both goals (6) and assists (3).
Form
NEC-Form
NEC- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 10/8
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 3/5
- Both teams scored
- 3/5
TIG-Form
TIGCruz Azul
1
-
0
Tigres
L
Tigres
1
-
1
Cruz Azul
D
Tigres
2
-
1
Club Universidad Nacional
W
Pachuca
0
-
0
Tigres
D
Tigres
2
-
1
Monterrey
W
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 5/4
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 2/5
- Both teams scored
- 3/5
Head-to-Head Record
NECLast 5 matches
TIG0
Wins
0
Draws
5
Wins
Goals scored
12- Games over 2.5 goals
- 3/5
- Both teams scored
- 2/5