Liga MX Review: Cruz Azul Jump 8 Points Clear at the Top of the Table

The Apertura has just two matches remaining for teams to secure their spots in the playoffs. While this weekend marked the traditional 'Día de los Muertos' celebrations, find out which teams delivered truly haunting results.

Friday 1st November 2024

Querétaro 1-2 Juárez
Mazatlán 0-5 Club América
Tijuana 0-3 Tigres
San Luís 2-0 Puebla
Toluca 2-2 León

The opening game of Matchday 15 was a clash between the league's lowest teams. In a battle to avoid the bottom-of-the-league fines, Juárez raced into a two-nil lead as Jairo Torres and Guilherme Castillo gave the visitors the lead in the first half. Los Gallos could only get one back in the second half through Ronaldo Cisneros, but chances of a comeback were dwindled after Franco Russo saw red late into added time.

Club América kept alive their automatic playoff hopes with a perfect display in Sinaloa. Three goals in ten minutes before halftime set the pace as Henry Martín, Rodrigo Aguirre and Brian Rodríguez got the goals. Adding to Mazatlán's pain was a fourth goal for Las Águilas as Martín added his second game goal before halftime. The second half was played with less intensity but América had enough time to get a fifth as Israel Reyes came off the bench for his first goal of the season.

Tijuana and Tigres were two teams in the automatic playoff spots before this week with two points separating them. However, the visitors were able to record back-to-back wins after a 2-1 victory against Pachuca last time out to leave them just one point away from ensuring that they will not be in the play-in tournament.

San Luís also managed a crucial victory to keep up their efforts for a playoff spot as Sebastien Lamonge recorded his fifth goal of the season before Yan Philips doubled the lead for the home side.

Toluca qualified for the playoffs last weekend with a win over Necaxa, but that could not prevent them from going two-nil down to León this weekend. Fighting to avoid embarrassment, Paulinho scored a brace, including an 87th-minute equaliser, to prevent a second league defeat of the season. The Portuguese forward netted his eleventh and twelfth goals of the season since joining from Sporting Lisbon.

Saturday 2nd November 2024

Chivas 0-0 Pumas
Monterrey 4-0 Atlas
Pachuca 6-2 Necaxa
Cruz Azul 2-0 Santos Laguna

Chivas and Pumas' hopes of automatic playoff contention remain in the balance as a goalless draw at the Estadio Akron failed to help either of their efforts. Pumas fall to sixth after San Luís' win as Chivas go a point ahead of their city rivals.

Matchday 15 was one to forget for Atlas who slumped to a four-nil defeat to Martín Demichelis' Rayados. Former Real Madrid playmaker creative midfielder Sergio Canales scored twice as German Berterame netted his sixth goal of the season. The win keeps the club in fourth place, two points behind Tigres and two ahead of San Luís.

Pachuca were the big winners this weekend as Salomón Rondón scored a hattrick whilst Oussama Idrissi, Javier Lopez and Arturo González all contributed to the scoresheet. The win sees Los Tuzos jump to 13 points, level on points with their weekend opposition.

Cruz Azul took advantage of Toluca's draw with a comfortable win over strugglers Santos Laguna. Jorge Sánchez scored his first goal for the club since returning to Mexican football from Ajax whilst Angel Sepúlveda scored his eighth goal of the season to seal the win.

Who do you think were the big winners this weekend? Let us know!