Queretaro and Club Tijuana will both be aiming to get their 2024-25 Liga MX campaigns off to a positive start when they lock horns at Estadio Corregidora on Friday night.
The home side lost to Necaxa in the play-in round last term, but Tijuana did not qualify for the final phase, having finished the regular season down in 15th position in the table.
Match preview
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Queretaro finished 10th in the regular phase last season, which saw them qualify for the play-in round, but they were beaten 3-2 on penalties by Necaxa after a 1-1 draw between the two sides.
The White and Blues have never won the Liga MX, but they did finish as runners-up in the Clausura back in 2015 and will be expecting to get their campaign off to a positive start in this match.
Mauro Gerk's side are unbeaten against Tijuana since March 2021, while they have not lost at home to Friday's opponents since 2017, meaning that confidence should be high ahead of the contest.
Queretaro have added Francisco Venegas to their squad since the end of last season, while there have been a number of departures, including six players who were on loan at the club.
Tijuana, meanwhile, were victorious in the Liga MX back in 2012, winning the Apertura.
The Pack have added three new players to their squad ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, with the most high-profile of those proving to be Unai Bilbao, who has arrived from San Luis.
Fernando Monarrez and Emanuel Reynoso have also joined, while five players are back at the club following loan spells, so there should be a fresh look to the squad this season.
Outgoings have been minimal, meanwhile, with Rodrigo Godinez released, while Jair Diaz has moved to Mazatlan FC, and Domingo Blanco has returned to Ukraine after a loan spell.
Tijuana have not managed to beat Queretaro on the road since August 2017, but the two teams played out a 1-1 draw in their last meeting in February 2024.
Team News
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There is expected to be a debut for Queretaro's Venegas in this match, with the 25-year-old likely to be brought into the starting XI at left-back.
Nicolas Cordero is on loan at the club until the end of the year, and the 25-year-old is expected to operate in the final third of the field, while Paolo Yrizar could also feature.
Marco Garcia could operate in a slightly wider position in the team's opening match of the new campaign, while there is expected to be a spot on the opposite side for Samuel Sosa.
As for Tijuana, there should be debutants in this match, with Bilbao expected to come into the back four following his recent arrival.
Reynoso is also in line to make his first appearance for the club, while Ake Loba and Jose Raul Zuniga should operate in the final third of the field.
Tijuana have a number of attacking options in their squad, so there is a lot of competition for spots, but there should be a position in the starting XI here for 33-year-old Joe Corona.
Queretaro possible starting lineup:
Tapia; Escamilla, Mendoza, Vazquez, Venegas; Sosa, Gomez, Preciado, M Garcia; Cordero, Yrizar
Club Tijuana possible starting lineup:
Rodriguez; R Fernandez, Parra, Barbosa, Bilbao; Corona, Rivera, Tona, Reynoso; Loba, Zuniga
We say: Queretaro 2-1 Club Tijuana
There has not been much between the two sides in their recent meetings, and we are expecting a close scoreline on Friday, but Queretaro should be able to navigate their way to a narrow success in their campaign opener.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
