The time has come for Liga MX teams to fight for a shot at the title. Eight games taking place this week will determine those clubs that will enter the semi-finals. With the current rate of two games per week, we will surely have a winner of this tournament by the end of the month, which will bring a perfect end to a fast-paced competition.
Following the exits of Pumas (eliminated after the regular season) and Chivas (knocked out by Puebla in the Wild Card weekend, it will be up to Cruz Azul and América to defend the pride of the so called "Big Four". Both teams made it to the Liguilla with two handsome unbeaten runs, but América have to be considered the favorites after finishing first and following a run of games that has seen them remain unbeaten since July 31.
Elsewhere, teams such as Tigres, Santos, and Monterrey have to be considered as true title contenders. Out of those, Monterrey went toe-to-toe with América for the top spot, but two draws in their final five games prevented them from claiming the No.1 seed.
Let us give you a glimpse of how each game is shaping up. You will find each team's ranking after 17 games inside the bracket next to them.
Puebla (8) vs América (1)
Regular season score: Puebla 1-2 América
La Franja made it to this stage after eliminating Chivas in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout this Sunday, and for that, they will get the honor of playing against América, the most consistent team in the season. This will be a clash where Puebla will be searching for payback, as Las Águilas eliminated them from the Clausura 2022 tournament in this very same stage with some controversial decisions by the refs. It will be one of the most exciting games of the final round, and a recent 2-1 win for América at Puebla's stadium could be a prelude of what we may get.
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Cruz Azul (7) vs Monterrey (2)
Regular season score: Monterrey 3-2 Cruz Azul
La Máquina made it to the playoffs despite suffering one of their worst losses of all time during the regular season, and with the help of caretaker Raúl Gutiérrez, the blue and white team may have a shot at eliminating Monterrey, a team that has terrorized them in past knockout matches and that has to be considered the favorite since they will close the tie at home. Los Rayados were quite consistent when playing away from home, losing only one game throughout the season and keeping themselves in contention for the top spot all season long, and with veteran coach Víctor Vucetich at the helm, beating Los Rayados will not be an easy task for the Clausura 2021 champions.
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Toluca (6) vs Santos Laguna (3)
Regular season score: Toluca 2-1 Santos
Toluca was seen by many as one of the candidates to take the title home when the season began, but a series of complicated games saw them drop to sixth place and into the Wild Card weekend last Sunday. On the other hand, Santos enter the playoffs with a streak of five games without a loss, which includes a couple of 3-3 draws. It will undoubtedly be one of the matches to keep an eye on, especially with both clubs being able to field talented players to serve their purposes.
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Tigres UANL (5) vs Pachuca (4)
Regular season score: Pachuca 2-0 Tigres
The team from the North side of Mexico will make it to this match trying to show why they are always considered among the great teams in the league, even if their style of play did not support that notion at times. To make it to the semis, Miguel Herrera must guide his side against a complicated Pachuca team which has always given him some headaches. Regarding Pachuca, coach Guillermo Almada will not have an easy time preparing this game due to the amount of talent in Tigres' squad, but all in all, the Uruguayan boss has proven he knows how to beat both Tigres and the teams coached by Miguel Herrera, as he holds positive records against the club and his rival on the other team's dugout.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
Tigres UANL 1 - 0 Pachuca
October 13, 2022 10:00pmEstadio Universitario de Nuevo León (San Nicolás de los Garza)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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If you want more details, standings, and stats on Liga MX, visit our dedicated Liga MX website.
