We are four games away from knowing the identities of all four semi-finalists in the Apertura 2022 tournament. We have experienced two quite interesting games so far in this stage, while the other ones could have been a bit better. Nevertheless, the upcoming matches in the Mexican top-flight could end up being historic for many reasons, especially with the kind of combinations we could get for the semi-final ties.
América, Tigres, and Toluca all took advantage in their ties thanks to their wins in the first legs, and even though Monterrey were not able to beat Cruz Azul away from home, Los Rayados seem to be in the driver's seat for their clash set to take place on Saturday.
On the other hand, Puebla will have a tough time turning things around, while Santos and Pachuca seem to have it a bit easier than La Franja to reach the semis. Last, but not least, Cruz Azul must find a way to avoid repeating some of their past mistakes if they want to end Monterrey's run in the competition.
Let us give you a glimpse of how each game is shaping up.
Monterrey vs Cruz Azul
First leg score: Cruz Azul 0-0 Monterrey
After the end result in the first leg, it seems that La Máquina wasted a huge chance to give themselves the lead over Monterrey before making the trip to face them. Now, the team led by Raúl Gutiérrez will have to leave everything out there to claim a spot in the semis, as another draw would see Monterrey reaching the next round. As for Los Rayados, holding on to their current lead in the aggregate should be enough for most teams, but their always demanding fans will want to see them taking the ticket to the semis in emphatic fashion, which means that a win has to be in order for them to keep their supporters at ease.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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América vs Puebla
First leg score: Puebla 1-2 América
América were sure to leave things clear in the first leg of this tie, where they became the first away team in Liga MX history to score six goals in the opening match of a quarterfinal clash. Now, La Franja will face the mammoth task of having to score at least six uncontested goals if they want to eliminate the league leaders. On the other hand, America's coach could be tempted to rest some of their starters with the semi-finals in mind, but history has taught América not to kick back and relax, since they have been surprised quite a few times despite making it to their stadium with a lead in these type of games.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Santos Laguna vs Toluca
First leg score: Toluca 4-3 Santos
One of the most exciting matches of the first legs in the competition saw Toluca get a two-nil lead, lose it after 48 minutes, and then claim it back in stoppage time thanks to a penalty kick scored by their goalkeeper. Now, that roller-coaster ride may not be the same when they make the trip to Torreón, mainly because Santos are now forced to win this game by any margin to reach the semis, while Toluca only need to draw the game to make it to the next round. It may not be a back-and-forth match as the first leg was since Toluca's coach, Ignacio Ambriz, is well-known for his ultra defensive approach when his teams need to use it, which will obviously be the case here.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Pachuca vs Tigres UANL
First leg score: Tigres 1-0 Pachuca
When this tie began on Thursday evening, both teams seemed to be willing to wait until the second leg to offer their fans something worthy of a postseason game. Now, with Tigres' narrow one-nil win, it seems that the team coached by Miguel Herrera has the upper hand, but facing coach Guillermo Almada and a team that has beaten them in four out of their last five trips to Pachuca, we believe that the wise thing to do for Herrera and Co. would have been to aim for a wider lead. Now, the ball is on Pachuca's side of the pitch, and judging by their recent matchups, it does seem that they might be able to turn things around.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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