The moment of truth has arrived, the moment we have all been waiting for is here. Starting this Wednesday, October 12, 2022, we will have the emotions of the so-called “Fiesta Grande” of Mexican soccer, the Liguilla. Here the 8 best teams in the tournament will face each other in double-elimination matches.
The first quarter-finals were was decided without waiting for any additional result; as Pachuca was to face the winner of the playoff match between Tigres and Necaxa; where the felines were the winners and qualified for this definitive phase. Thus, Pachuca will face one of the best defenses in the tournament.
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Santos Laguna was the team with the most uncertainty, since its rival in the quarterfinals, Toluca, was the one that could change the match-ups in this phase. However, with the masterful victory of the Diablos Rojos, all the clashes were defined.
América’s fans were waiting for what could be a spectacular duel in these quarterfinals; since, if a combination of results occurred, the Clásico Nacional between América and Chivas de Guadalajara could have been played. However, Puebla avoided it by overcoming Chivas through penalties.
Finally, Cruz Azul, with its narrow 1-0 victory over León, managed to sneak into the quarterfinals and continue to reaffirm the excellent level of play with which it finished the regular phase of this opening tournament.
Thus, the Quarterfinals of the Apertura 2022 Liga MX Tournament will be played as follows:
- América vs. Puebla
- Rayados vs. Cruz Azul
- Santos vs. Toluca
- Pachuca vs. Tigres
The following is a preview of the matches on the first day of the quarterfinals of the Liguilla.
Liga MX Liguilla Quarterfinals – Preview – Toluca vs. Santos Laguna – Info
When: Thursday, October 13 at 08:06 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Toluca +133 / Santos Laguna +194 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +235
Where Can I Watch it? Fox Sports / Fanatiz
We begin this preview with a series that we are sure will be full of emotions. Toluca receives Santos Laguna at the Nemesio Diez Stadium on Thursday, October 13, 2022. It will be a day full of spectacular matches in these quarterfinals of the Liguilla.
The last match between these two teams was on matchday 4 of the 2022 Liga MX opening tournament; where Toluca won 2-1 at home, something that Toluca wants to repeat in this quarter-final.
Both teams arrive with a lot of confidence in terms of their offense, as they have scored lots of goals. Toluca has scored 7 goals in its last 2 games, while Santos Laguna has scored 5.
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With a spectacular closing of the regular phase, Santos Laguna managed to finish in third place in the general classification table with an excellent record of 10 wins, 3 ties, and 4 losses, only 2 points behind Monterrey and 5 points behind América.
Santos managed to take third place on the last day of the regular tournament; after crushing Mazatlán 3-0 and Pachuca equalizing its match against Monterrey. Thanks to this, Santos secured its presence in the quarterfinals of the Liguilla.
On the other hand, Toluca arrives in high spirits and, above all, with incredible inspiration after a stupendous 3-0 playoff win over Juárez.
Toluca knows what it’s like to beat Santos at home, and they need to apply the same dose to achieve a victory that will help them go into the second leg at Corona Stadium with an advantage.
Likewise, our pick for this match is a Santos Laguna victory, and we predict a score of 2-1.
Toluca vs. Santos Laguna Betting Pick: Santos Laguna
Liga MX Liguilla Quarterfinals – Preview – Tigres UANL vs. Pachuca – Info
When: Thursday, October 13 at 08:06 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Tigres UANL +100 / Pachuca +252 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +233
Where Can I Watch it? Fox Sports / Fanatiz
One of the most spectacular rivalries in the history of Liga MX short tournaments will take place in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Liguilla. The Tuzos and Felines fought neck and neck for the top spots during the regular tournament, and now they will have the opportunity to eliminate each other for a place in the semifinals.
The first match of this double elimination series between Tigres UANL and Pachuca will be played this Thursday, October 13, 2022, at the Universitario Stadium, home of Tigres UANL.
Tigres UANL fulfilled the predictions and logic in the playoff played last weekend, where they achieved a very comfortable victory over Necaxa with a 2-0 score thanks to two goals scored by their star player, Frenchman André-Pierre Gignac.
Before leaving Necaxa out, the team coached by Miguel Herrera finished in 5th place in the general classification table, with a record of 9 wins, 3 draws, and 5 defeats. Tigres had an excellent start to the tournament, with 6 wins in the first 8 games, but closed with an irregular level, as they had 3 wins and 3 losses in the last 6 games played.
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Pachuca, on the other hand, managed to secure the fourth and last direct place in the quarterfinals of the Liguilla, after a 0-0 draw against Monterrey on the last matchday, to finish with a record of 9 wins, 5 draws, and 3 defeats.
Pachuca wants to return to being a protagonist in the final of Liga MX, and overcoming this complicated rival could be the start to achieving it.
In the last match played between these two teams in the regular phase, Pachuca won 2-0 at home.
This time, our selection is a 1-1 draw on the scoreboard.
Tigres UANL vs. Pachuca Betting Pick: Draw
Liga MX Liguilla Quarterfinals – Preview – Cruz Azul vs. Monterrey – Info
When: Wednesday, October 12 at 08:06 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Cruz Azul +195 / Monterrey +133 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +231
Where Can I Watch it? Fox Sports / Fanatiz
In one of the most electrifying matches of these Liguilla quarterfinals, Cruz Azul will receive a visit from one of the best teams in the tournament, Monterrey, at the Azteca Stadium on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
Against all odds, with a lot of motivation and confidence, in addition to five consecutive victories, Cruz Azul managed to seal its ticket to the quarterfinals of the Liguilla, after defeating León 1-0 in the Playoffs.
Cruz Azul will be looking for revenge for the match on Matchday 13, when Monterrey won 3-2, with a goal by Luis Romo, with whom they will also meet again in this phase. In addition, Ramiro Funes Mori could face his brother Rogelio for the first time in Liga MX, if both recover from their respective injuries.
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On the other hand, Monterrey, coached by Víctor Manuel Vucetich, is preparing to visit Cruz Azul after a week’s rest, thanks to the fact that they finished in second place in the general classification table with 35 points, thanks to a spectacular record of 10 wins, 5 draws and 2 defeats.
Only two defeats marred Rayados’ great performance: they lost to Santos Laguna (4-3) on the first day of the opening tournament and Chivas de Guadalajara (1-0) away on matchday 16.
This rivalry is not new in definitive phases or final matches, since, in the playoffs of the 2021 Clausura tournament, Monterrey eliminated Cruz Azul at the Azteca Stadium with a 4-1 score, while in the 2021 CONCACHAMPIONS, they eliminated them again with a 5-1 aggregate score.
La Maquina hopes that this will not happen again and will take advantage of the confidence they have going into this match after 5 consecutive victories.
That is why our selection is a Cruz Azul victory with a score of 1-0.
Cruz Azul vs. Monterrey Betting Pick: Cruz Azul
Liga MX Liguilla Quarterfinals – Preview – Puebla vs. América – Info
When: Wednesday, October 12 at 08:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Puebla +233 / América +104 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +255
Where Can I Watch it? Fox Sports / Fanatiz
Finally, we close this preview of the first day of these quarterfinals of the Liguilla with a spectacular match between two teams that have a common goal, to be the champions of this opening tournament 2022 of the Liga MX, Puebla and América.
This match between Puebla and América will be played this Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at the Cuauhtémoc Stadium, home of Puebla.
In this Apertura 2022 tournament, América achieved a historic comeback to become the leader of the general classification table, being the team with the most victories and the best offense in the league. América has won 11 of their last 12 official games, making them the team with the best winning streak in the league.
The team coached by Fernando Ortiz is the main favorite to win the championship title and continue to be the top champions of Mexican soccer.
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On the other hand, we have Puebla, a team that wants to prevent América from continuing its excellent unbeaten streak, and even more so, after cutting off the fans’ aspirations of a Clásico Nacional by eliminating Chivas de Guadalajara in the playoffs, in a match that went to penalties after finishing 1-1 in the 90 regulatory minutes and which Puebla was able to win with a score of 5-4.
On the last day of the regular phase of the 2022 opening tournament, América achieved a very good victory against Puebla precisely at the Cuauhtémoc Stadium, but they met twice in the Playoffs. In 1994-95 and in the Clausura 2022, where Puebla won both encounters.
Puebla will try to emulate this in this first match in the quarterfinals of the Liguilla, but America is the best team in the league right now.
That’s why our pick is a 2-1 win for las Aguilas.
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