Apertura Play-In: Four Teams Competing for the Final Two Spots in the Playoffs | OneFootball

Tijuana, Club América, Chivas and Atlas are the four teams involved this weekend as they all have a chance of reaching the quarterfinals of the 2024 Liga MX Apertura.

Finishing between 7th and 10th in the standings meant these teams missed out on automatic playoff qualification. Instead, they had to fight for their spot through the high-stakes play-in stage, where only the strongest would advance.

Either Tijuana or América will secure a playoff spot and face Toluca in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the loser will get one final opportunity to qualify but must overcome the winner of the Chivas vs. Atlas clash to do so. As for the loser between Chivas and Atlas, their season will end on Thursday night.

Tijuana vs Club América

Whilst Los Xolos were the surprise package during the 2024 Apertura regular season, Club América were the major underachiever. Earning back-to-back titles, Las Águilas are coming off a dominant 2023/24 campaign. However, they must do so the hard way to win the biggest prize in Mexico for a third consecutive time.

Tijuana emerged as the top-performing team in the play-in competition, setting up a clash at the Estadio Caliente on Thursday, 21st November. With the result needing to be decided in Tijuana, Los Xolos will look to capitalise on their strong home form, having lost just once at home during the regular season—a 3-0 defeat to Tigres. Interestingly, when these two sides met in October, the match ended in a 2-2 draw, adding an extra layer of intrigue to this playoff encounter.

América endured a rollercoaster Apertura campaign, with stinging defeats to both of their capital city rivals, Cruz Azul and Pumas. However, victories over El Súperclásico foes Chivas and Monterrey helped André Jardine's side regain momentum. Despite this recovery, a crushing 4-0 loss to Toluca on the final day of the season cost them home-field advantage in the play-in stage.

When the teams faced off on Thursday evening, América entered as the favourites, bolstered by their strong playoff pedigree and Tijuana's recent struggles against Mexico's most decorated club. Los Xolos have failed to win in their last four encounters with América, managing just one draw alongside three defeats. Their last victory came back in July 2022, a 2-0 triumph at the Estadio Caliente.

Chivas vs Atlas

El Clásico Tapatío is also on offer for football fans in the play-in as the two sides from Guadalajara meet at the Estadio Akron.

One side’s underachievement is another’s milestone. For Los Rojiblancos, failing to finish in the top six marks their worst performance since the 2022 Apertura. Meanwhile, for Atlas, securing this playoff spot is a significant step forward—their first since the 2023 Clausura—after finishing 17th in the 2023 Apertura and struggling again in the most recent Clausura campaign.

Atlas’ recent form heading into the playoffs is a significant cause for concern. Los Rojinegros failed to win any of their final six matches in the Apertura regular season, managing five draws and suffering a heavy 4-0 loss to Monterrey. In fact, they recorded just one victory in their last 10 games—a 3-2 win over Chivas at the Estadio Akron. The club's playoff hopes were largely built on their strong early-season form, as they went unbeaten in their first five matches. However, the campaign also included notable low points, such as a 3-0 defeat to América and a 4-1 loss to Toluca.

Chivas’ season was far from smooth, despite a late surge that saw them win three of their final six games. Their struggles against playoff-bound opponents were glaring. In addition to a loss to Atlas, they fell 1-0 in the Súperclásico against América and closed the regular season with a defeat to San Luís. Earlier in the campaign, Los Rojiblancos also suffered losses to Tijuana and Cruz Azul, highlighting their inconsistency against top competition.

The most recent meeting may have gone Atlas' way, but it doesn’t reflect the broader history of this rivalry. In the six prior encounters, Atlas managed just one win compared to Chivas’ three victories. Recent trends in this fixture have typically favoured Chivas, who has also made a habit of reaching the later stages of the playoffs. However, that record is now under threat as they face an Atlas side determined to secure back-to-back wins at the Estadio Akron for the first time since 2022.

It is important to remember that winning this tie on Thursday 21 November does not secure passage into the final eight, but a final play-in clash with the loser between Tijuana and Club América. The loser between Chivas and Atlas will be knocked out and will miss out on the Apertura quarterfinals.