Liga MX Apertura 2024 Quarterfinals Predictions | OneFootball

Time has come for the Liga MX Apertura 2024 playoffs to truly begin. The quarterfinals kick-off the three week home and away knockout rounds that will crown a new champion in Mexico's top flight.

The field is set and there's intrigue in every quarterfinal matchup. With plenty of storylines to monitor heading into the last stretch of the season, here's how the quarterfinal matchups could play out in the coming days.

(1) Cruz Azul vs. (8) Tijuana (Nov. 27–30)

Cruz Azul enters the playoffs as the favorite to lift the trophy following a record breaking season. Few teams have been as dominant as Martín Anselmi's side over the course of the season. The best attack, best defense, only one loss and a new points record in a 17-game campaign, La Máquina paid homage to its nickname, playing like a well-oiled machine.

Tijuana on the other hand, is the clear underdog in the playoffs. Juan Carlos Osorio has done an impressive job since his arrival in the summer, guiding a squad full of youngsters to the playoffs for the first time in over five years.

Cruz Azul dismantled Tijuana 4–0 earlier in the season. The first leg in the border city might be more difficult than most expect, though La Máquina should finish off the tie at home on Saturday without much trouble.

Prediction

(2) Toluca vs. (7) Club América (Nov. 27–30)

Don't let the seeding fool you. If both teams are at their best—and this is a big caveat—this is a tightly contested affair.

Toluca has the best player of the season in summer signing Paulinho, who won the golden boot and had 18 goal involvements in 17 games. In Renato Paiva's second season as manager, the team improved and is a true contender to win it all.

América is the reigning, back-to-back champions and won't want to give up the throne. The team took a step back this season after dominating the league for a year. Injuries, mistakes and a crowded calendar hindered Las Águilas, but with most of its squad back to full fitness, this is a scary team in the playoffs if it can get it together.

Toluca trashed América 4–0 in the final game of the regular season. Not having to go to the daunting Estadio Ázteca and closing out the tie at home put Toluca in prime position to end América's reign.

(3) Tigres vs. (6) Atlético San Luis (Nov. 28–Dec. 1)

Tigres continued its decade long run as one of the most consistent teams in Liga MX, making the quarterfinals for a 20th straight season. Without stealing much of the spotlight throughout the campaign, Tigres is a sneaky pick to make a championship run.

On the other side, what Spanish manager Domènec Torrent's been able to do with San Luis is remarkable. The team didn't lose a single game at home and went the whole season without suffering back-to-back defeats despite its modest squad. The former Pep Guardiola understudy seems poised to make the jump to a bigger club in the near future.

Tigres has more than enough playoff experience to understand do-or-die ties. That, added to the clear mismatch in quality between the two squads, gives Tigres the edge to end San Luis's run.

(4) Pumas vs. (5) Monterrey (Nov. 28–Dec. 1)

Pumas got better as the season went on, losing just once in its final 10 games. Gustavo Lema has a modest squad to work with without any major stars. However, what Pumas lacks in individual quality is blanketed by its high work rate, intensity and stout defending. It's a team that grinds away at the opposition and pounces on mistakes.

Monterrey has one of the best squads not only in Mexico, but the entire continent. Yet, this is a team that consistently struggles to find any semblance of stability. You never know what version of Monterrey will show up on any given day. The pressure of only one title in 14 years despite the significant economic investment at an all time high is apparent.

It'll be a clash of collective might against individual moments of magic. In the end, Monterrey's stars might be just a little bit too much to handle for Pumas over 180 minutes.

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