Tigres faces off against Monterrey in the first ever Clásico Regio final.

For the first time ever, Monterrey’s two big teams will contest a Liga MX final. On Thursday night, Tigres UANL hosts CF Monterrey in the first leg, and the second leg will take place across town on Sunday.

These two teams were clearly the class of the 2017 Apertura, finishing in first and second place as the only teams with double-digit positive goal differentials. As the No. 1 seed, Monterrey gets the privilege of playing the second leg at home.

Both teams dominated en route to the final, with Monterrey beating Morelia 5-0 on aggregate in their semi, while Tigres defeated América 4-0.

Monterrey got to host the regular season match between the two teams during the Apertura, and the Rayados came out on top, 2-0. Tigres legend Juninho scored an own goal, and Liga MX leading scorer Aviles Hurtado sealed the win with his team’s second goal.

This is a rematch of last season’s quarterfinal. Tigres came into that tie as the underdog and No. 7 seed, but defeated Monterrey 4-1 in the first leg, then 2-0 in the second. Tigres upset No. 1 seed Tijuana in the second round as well, but fell to Chivas de Guadalajara in the final.

Monterrey has the league’s top strikeforce, with the aforementioned Hurtado partnered by Rogelio Funes Mori. The Argentine scored six goals in the regular season, but has matched that total in the Liguilla playoffs with six more goals in just four games. But Tigres striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has come up big in finals, helping his team to two titles since arriving, and scoring twice in last year’s losing effort.

American fans might want to keep an eye on Monterrey midfielder Jonathan Gónzalez. At just 18 years old, he’s one of the brightest young stars in Liga MX, and he’s already proven himself worthy of a senior United States call-up. On the Tigres side, wingers Jürgen Damm and Javier Aquino are fighting for their places in the Mexico side at one of its deepest positions.

How to watch Tigres vs. Monterrey online

If you’re a TV subscriber to Univision Deportes, you can watch for free on Univision Deportes en vivo. The network is also available through over-the-top subscription services such as Fubo and Sling, which offer free trials.

Match date/time: Thursday, 9 p.m. ET

Venue: Estadio Universitario, San Nicolás, Mexico

TV: Univision, Univision Deportes

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