The thrilling conclusion of the Liga MX Apertura 2025 season is upon us, with the eight best teams of the regular season set to compete in the playoff quarterfinals.
The three Play-In games gave us an appetizer for what’s to come. Tijuana and FC Juárez lived up to the billing as favorites and advanced to fight for Apertura 2025 glory.
The five teams that were touted as preseason favorites are the top five seeds entering the playoffs. However, all bets are off whenever the direct elimination rounds begin and upsets are synonymous with La Liguilla.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Liga MX Apertura 2025 quarterfinals.
Liga MX Apertura 2025 Quarterfinals: Matchups
- (1) Toluca vs. FC Juárez (8)
- (2) Tigres vs. Tijuana (7)
- (3) Cruz Azul vs. Chivas (6)
- (4) Club América vs. Monterrey (5)
Reigning champions Toluca begin their title defense with a matchup against Martín Varini’s impressive FC Juárez. The border-city side have earned the reputation of a team that can compete admirably against any opponent, but Toluca will be confident heading into the matchup given the noticeable gap in quality between both sides.
Teenage phenom Gilberto Mora will look to guide Tijuana against Tigres. However, with Ángel Correa seamlessly adapting to Liga MX, Tigres have experienced somewhat of a resurgence this term, losing just once during the regular season. Guido Pizarro’s side are the overwhelming favorites to advance.
Cruz Azul and Chivas battle in what promises to be a very even tie. A defeat in the final match of the regular season proved costly for Nicolás Larcamón’s side. Instead of topping the regular season table, they dropped to third and must now face a Chivas side that’s won seven of their last eight.
Star-studded sides Club América and Monterrey will meet in the playoffs for the first time since the Apertura 2024 final. They boast two of the strongest rosters in North America with players such as Allan Saint-Maximin, Alejandro Zendejas, Anthony Martial, Sergio Ramos and Sergio Canales itching to be difference-makers in the quarterfinals.
Liga MX Apertura 2025 Quarterfinals: Dates
First Legs
Second Legs
Liga MX Apertura 2025 Quarterfinals: Format
The Liga MX quarterfinals are two-legged, home and away matchups with the higher seed hosting the second leg.
Where the Liga MX playoff format varies from other popular knockout stages across the world is the tiebreaker. The away goals rule isn’t used in the playoffs. Furthermore, there’s no scenario where a tie can go to extra time or a penalty shootout.
If a matchup ends in a draw after the two legs, the team with the higher seed will automatically advance to the next round. The rule serves as a reward for a top four finish during the regular season.
The tiebreaker remains in place during the semifinals. Once it’s time for the final, that rule is discarded as extra time and possibly a penalty shootout will determine the champion if the final is tied after 120 minutes.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liga MX Apertura 2025 Quarterfinals: Matchups, Dates, Format.
