The last eight teams in Liga MX begin their battle to win the title in the ongoing tournament. After a rather unnecessary play-in stage, since the top-ranked teams made it to the playoffs after those three matches, the stage is set to watch the intensity of Liga MX's Liguilla, and it could not be any more exciting for those watching live at all the stadiums or at home.
For the first time in years, seven of the most-winning eight teams in the league will be involved in the fight for the title. This will see some nerve-wracking matches between all contenders, including some quarrels between neighboring clubs. As you may already know, the return legs for all these matches will be held between Saturday and Sunday, which makes these games even more interesting since they will have a direct influence in how the weekend's matches are played.
Without further ado, let us give you a heads up on how things will unfold this week. Remember that the first tiebreaker is the aggregate score, but in the event of a draw after both games, the regular season standings will be used to determine which team makes it through.
Liga MX - Quarter final matches (2nd leg) on May 11-12, 2024
Saturday, May 11
América vs Pachuca: The defending champions get to this match after surviving a tough first leg, where Pachuca dominated most of the first half and even led the game for the better part of the first 45 minutes. Now, with the Azteca Stadium cheering for them, Las Águilas will want to make their home-field advantage count against a team that has beaten them twice in their last five games there, and who also have dominated the most-winning team in Liga MX when it comes to liguilla matches. A win or a draw would be enough for América to go through following the one-all draw in the first leg, but Pachuca are quite the powerful team led by the savvy Guillermo Almada, and with a player such as Salomón Rondón leading the pack, all bets will be off at the Azteca when the ball starts rolling.
Toluca vs Guadalajara: The most popular team in Mexican football claimed a one-nil win in the first leg, but they will need to be wary of Toluca's force at home, as Los Diablos only need a similar win to make it through to the next round. Pre-match stats show that Toluca has only been able to beat Chivas once in their last four games at home, and judging by how they have performed in recent weeks, it would not be surprising to see Guadalajara reaching the semi-final stage.
Sunday, May 12
Cruz Azul vs Pumas UNAM: The first leg between these teams based in Mexico City ended with La Máquina claiming a two-nil win over Pumas, forcing the visitors to win this match by three goals if they want to reach the next stage. Nonetheless, even if logic seems to favor Cruz Azul for this game, it would be wise to keep in mind that Pumas have beaten Cruz Azul by a similar margin twice in the last three years, one of them in a semi-final stage. With that in mind, placing a bet for Pumas may not be a crazy idea after all. Pumas' last away game against Cruz Azul ended 4-1 in their favor, which means that the away side do have what it takes to shock the No.2 seed in Mexico's liguilla.
Monterrey vs Tigres UANL: The top rivalry in the North side of Mexico saw Monterrey taking a 2-1 lead to their ground for Sunday's tie, but that does not mean they have the upper hand for this match. The visitors have made a habit out of beating Monterrey at their own turf, something that has seen them win a title clash at BBVA Stadium in the past. Tigres are unbeaten in their last three trips to Monterrey's stadium, but thanks to Rayados' advantage thanks to the tiebreaker, Tigres will need win by two goals to keep their title dreams going. On the other hand, this will be a good chance to see if Monterrey have no mental issues after their traumatic exit from the Concacaf Champions Cup, a semi-final clash that ended with a 3-1 loss to Columbus Crew...just the score Tigres would need to eliminate them this Sunday.
Here is the full list of games being played in Liga MX's playoffs. Click on each fixture for full broadcast and streaming options in your country.
[SCHEDULES competition 40 2024-05-10 2024-05-13]