Tigres' Gignac breaks Chivas hearts with late double in 2-2 draw

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Tigres and Chivas turned in a mesmerizing first leg of the 2017 Clausura final, as Chivas excelled and had Tigres against the ropes only for Andre-Pierre Gignac to score twice as the Monterrey side rallied for a 2-2 draw at Estadio Universitario.

Even though Tigres had the entire crowd behind them, Ricardo Ferretti's team was only able to line up a couple of dangerous attacking plays to start off the match against a resolute Chivas defense.

The visitors rode out a tough first 20 minutes, where Tigres regularly regained possession of the ball in the midfield, but lacked precision with the final pass.

Chivas overcame the initial wave and midfielders Jose Juan "Gallito" Vazquez and Michael Perez started to win the important battles in the midfield.

Tigres' key midfielders Guido Pizarro and Jesus Duenas had no options in front of them after receiving the ball from the back, while Chivas' defense had Gignac locked in, unable to take shots or get free in the box.

Then the goals came for Chivas in shocking fashion and very effectively quieted the whole crowd in Monterrey.

Goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman, who came into this final as a stable presence in net for Tigres, made two inexcusable mistakes that led to Alan Pulido's goal in the 23rd minute and Rodolfo Pizarro's goal in the 42nd minute.

In both cases, Guzman could have caught the ball as opposed to punching it away in the area, making it easy for Pulido and Pizarro to knock in their respective goals.

Tigres had far and away the better scoring chances in the second half. The first came in the 65th minute when Jurgen Damm, who had just come on, sent a dangerous pass into the heart of the box but couldn't find a teammate in front of goal.

Chivas' resistance continued, and just when it looked like the Guadalajara side was going to leave El Volcan with a 2-0 advantage, Gignac took over the show. The Frenchman scored his fifth and sixth goals in the Liguilla to get his team back in the series.

The goals came in the 85th and 88th minutes, with the France international smashing home a first-time shot from 12 yards and then rounding Chivas keeper Rodolfo Cota and firing home from a hard angle for his second.

The equalizer sent the crowd into delirium and now leaves all to play for in the second-leg at Estadio Chivas on Sunday.