MEXICO CITY -- Club America and Tigres drew 1-1 in the first leg of the 2016 Apertura final, with Andre-Pierre Gignac and Bruno Valdez each scoring crucial goals for their teams.
Oribe Peralta won a penalty for America in the 25th minute on a rather questionable call by referee Paul Delgadillo. However, the Mexico international's attempt from the spot smashed off Nahuel Guzman's crossbar, keeping the hosts from taking an early 1-0 lead.
Tigres were about to head into half-time locked in a scoreless draw, but Gignac had something else in mind. In a play where America's defense looked sluggish, Gignac made them pay with some magnificent moves to get into the box and softly tip the ball into the net, nutmegging goalkeeper Moises Munoz in the process.
America had great control of the game in the first half, but was unable to get on the scoreboard, while Tigres only had the one great moment from Gignac. However, that one moment was enough to give Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti's team a crucial away goal and a 1-0 lead at the break.
In the second half, Las Aguilas worked their way toward levelling things up, and in the 67th minute they got their prize from a Bruno Valdez set-piece goal.
Tigres' attack was non-existent in the second 45 minutes, while America's attackers kept reappearing in the final third sending in quick and precise passes for Peralta, but none of them wound up in the net.
The second leg of the Liga MX final will take place on Sunday, Dec. 25, at Tigres' Estadio Universitario, a place where Ferretti's team has won all of their games this postseason.