Chivas vs Club Tijuana Prediction, Betting Odds & Picks

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• Chivas’ manager hasn’t provided his squad with many solutions in a problematic 2021
• Over in Tijuana, a reset will leave the club with lots of pieces to reshuffle
• Will a couple of key players for Chivas be distracted with off-the-field matters?

Chivas vs Club Tijuana Odds

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Chivas vs Club Tijuana Predictions and Picks

Both teams are struggling, and while it looks like one team (Chivas) could soon drop its manager, the other (Tijuana), recently did so earlier this week.

There haven’t been many positives for either club in 2021, and although Chivas will be hosting Saturday’s encounter, they’ve only been able to claim one win there so far this season. As for Tijuana, their away form only showcases one victory as well.

This looks set to be an unexciting yet tight contest between two teams who could possibly miss out on the playoffs in the Clausura tournament. Regardless of the fact that a win could turn the tide for either squad, both may stumble over themselves in the process.

Pick:

Tie (+220)

How to Watch Chivas vs Club Tijuana

Is there any hope left for Chivas or Tijuana this season?

For Tijuana, a reset button was recently hit by the club. With only four wins in 14 games, manager Pablo Guede was dropped by the team on Monday, leaving a U20 coach for the organization to step up as an interim in the process. Morale is undoubtedly low, and even with a changing of the guard on the sideline, it’s tough to assume that players will be thrilled with their position at 12th in the league table.

As for Chivas, things have looked even worse. The Liga MX powerhouse only have two wins out of 13 matches, and with no victory to date since mid-February, a change could soon arrive for their own manager…

Victor Manuel Vucetich’s Days Are Numbered With Chivas

It’s actually quite surprising that Victor Manuel Vucetich is still in charge. After losing to rivals Club America 3-0 at home in March, many assumed that the veteran manager would soon be dropped.

And although he ended up holding onto his position, what has followed since that defeat to Chivas’ most fierce rivals are a 1-1 draw with Santos Laguna and a 1-0 loss to Cruz Azul.

Something needs to change for Chivas. Even after Vucetich was given a high-profile backing by the club after the loss to America, he has failed to follow through in recent weeks, and there seem to be little signs that he’ll do so on Saturday.

Tijuana Don’t Have Enough Time To Reassess And Reorganize Their Structure

As for Tijuana, there are too many lingering doubts that extend far beyond Guede.

The teams seem to be a mess and incredibly vulnerable in 2nd halves, their starting goalkeeper might not be fully fit by the weekend, they’ve allowed 10 goals in their last six matches, and on the bench, there are no guarantees that interim coach Ildefonso Mendoza has the capabilities to turn Tijuana’s season around at the last minute.

Away from home, Tijuana also regularly runs into difficulties with claiming points: They only have one win in matches outside of their familiar Estadio Caliente this season.

Key Players For Chivas Might Be Focusing On Off-The-Field Matters

But what about Chivas? Can they take advantage of a Tijuana roster that is in the middle of a rebuild?

Probably not. Along with some of the issues mentioned earlier, there might also be a couple of players who will be distracted with reported transfer talks. According to ESPN’s Graciela Resendiz, both Jose Juan Macias and Uriel Antuna have started negotiations to potentially move abroad to Italy.

Inicia hoy negociación formal entre @Chivas con representante de empresa italiana por José Juan Macías y Uriel Antuna, lo confirma exjugador Sergio Lugo. @ESPNmx

— Graciela Reséndiz (@ChelaESPNcommx) April 13, 2021

It might be grasping at straws here, but in the past, we’ve seen what happened to Macias when similar rumors emerged. When the reports emerged last year of a potential move to Europe, for whatever reason, his goalscoring numbers went down shortly afterward.

This isn’t to say that both Antuna and Macias will underperform this weekend, but when Chivas need everything and anything to go right in their chase of a playoff position, a couple of players looking for trades elsewhere might have a small impact in the match.