After 17 weeks, the Clausura 2016 regular season came to an end, with sides like Cruz Azul and Pumas disappointing their fans by not making it to the playoffs. Considering the eight teams that made it to the knockout stages, fans will be treated with two heated rivalries: Monterrey facing Tigres in what's known by many as "El Clásico Regio" while the two most-winning sides in the Mexican top flight, América and Guadalajara, will end up battling each other for a spot in the semis.
Today, the Mexican Football Federation(FMF) revealed dates and kick-off times for all Quarter final matchups, and here's a quick glance at each and one of them.
(1) Monterrey vs Tigres UANL (8)
Los Rayados came this close to breaking the franchise's all-time record for points in a single tournament, but their loss against Toluca didn't allow them to do so. Antonio Mohamed's men earned the first place of the tournament with ease, but CONCACAF Champions League runners-up Tigres could give them a handful if Monterrey blink.
This season, the hosts defeated Tigres with a 1-0 scoreline. This was the first-ever Clásico Regio played at BBVA Bancomer stadium.
1st leg: Tigres vs Monterrey. Wednesday, May 11th at Estadio Universitario. Kick-off time, 20:00 hrs EDT.
2nd leg: Monterrey vs Tigres. Saturday, May 14th at Estadio BBVA Bancomer. Kick-off time, 20:00 hrs EDT.
Tigres' French striker André-Pierre Gignac won Liga MX's Golden Boot with 13 goals. Can he lead his team-mates to back-to-back titles?
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(2) Club Pachuca vs Santos (7)
Los Tuzos were capable of reaching the second seed of the playoffs during the last week of the regular season, following their 2-1 win against Chiapas. Santos dropped from the 4th spot to the 7th after losing a home game against Chivas, and now the team from Torreón will have to fight for a spot in the semis away from their stadium.
During the regular season, Santos was able to outscore Pachuca with a 3-2 score. Los Guerreros had a three-goal lead before the end of the first half, but Pachuca's players fought back and nearly came out with a draw.
1st leg: Santos vs Pachuca. Thursday, May 12th at Territorio Santos Modelo. Kick-off time, 20:00 hrs EDT.
2nd leg: Pachuca vs Santos. Sunday, May 15th at Estadio Hidalgo. Kick-off time, 21:06 hrs EDT.
Pachuca has eliminated Santos in two of their previous three playoff ties. The only time Santos defeated Los Tuzos in a knockout stage goes back to 2001, when the green-and-white side took home the Verano 2001 title.
(3) León vs Monarcas (6)
"La Fiera" returns to a knockout stage with their minds set on reaching the semi-finals. Facing them will be Morelia, a team that started the tournament thinking about avoiding relegation, and following a winning streak that led them to the knockout stage, Los Monarcas could break a lot of hearts if they can show what they can do.
These teams met previously in February, and Morelia came from behind to take all the points home with a couple of late goals.
1st leg: Morelia vs León, Wednesday, May 11th at Estadio Morelos. Kick-off time, 22:00 hrs EDT.
2nd leg: León vs Morelia, Saturday, May 14th at Estadio Nou Camp. Kick-off time, 21:06 hrs EDT.
Morelia and León played a two-legged tie back in the Apertura 2013 tournament, with León eliminating Los Monarcas with a 7-3 aggregate.
(4) Club América vs Chivas Guadalajara (5)
In a matchup that needs no introduction, Las Águilas will try to celebrate their 100th birthday by eliminating their bitter rivals. The Mexico City-based team ended the tournament in poor form, winning only one of their latest five games. On the other hand, and despite a slow start, Guadalajara reached the playoffs by winning four out of their last five, including a 1-0 win against Santos that secured the 5th seed for Matias Almeyda's crew.
Being the most winning teams in Mexican football, América and Guadalajara have played 20 playoff games between each other, and Las Águilas have dominated most of those meetings, winning 13 times, drawing three more while losing four.
Oribe Peralta (middle) scored the game-winning goal for América during their March 10 meeting this year.
1st leg: Chivas vs Club América. Thursday, May 12th at Estadio Chiva. Kick-off time, 22:00 hrs EDT.
2nd leg: Club América vs Chivas. Sunday, May 15th at Estadio Azteca. Kick-off time, 19:00 hrs EDT.
