Remembering the last time Chivas played two matches in under 24 hours | OneFootball

Chivas have a huge dilemma ahead of the start of the 2019 Apertura, as they will have to split their squad in two this weekend.

Chivas kick off the new season with an important match against Santos Laguna on Sunday in Torreón but must fulfill their International Champions Cup obligations Saturday when they face Benfica in San Francisco, leaving manager Tomás Boy with a huge headache.

In addition, Chivas will wrap up ICC play against Atlético Madrid on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.

Chivas had been desperate to get the match rescheduled, however, Liga MX were not willing to budge, meaning Chivas will likely put out an extremely weak side against Benfica on the world’s stage.

This isn’t the first time Chivas have been put in this predicament. Back on 6 August, 2006, Chivas scheduled a much-heralded friendly match against Champions League winners Barcelona on the same day as their Liga MX clash with Toluca.

With Giovani dos Santos, Rafael Marquez, Ronaldinho, and Samuel Eto’o all in the fold, it was simply an opportunity that Chivas couldn’t refuse.

Chivas decided to put their best team out against Barcelona and, in front of 92,000 people in Los Angeles, they earned a solid 1-1 draw thanks to Diego Martínez’s 82nd-minute equaliser.

Earlier in the day, the ‘substitutes’ managed to lose to Toluca by a 1-0 scoreline, which was considered a very acceptable result.

Chivas would get their revenge in the Liguilla, defeating Toluca 3-2 on aggregate in the final to claim their 11th Liga MX title.

For those that are curious, manager José Manuel ‘Chepo’ de la Torre directed both matches that day, arriving in Los Angeles 15 minutes late.