The Apertura 2015 playoffs will continue this week, with one of the most controversial rivalries taking place in the semi-finals. Club América and Pumas will battle against each other for a spot in the final series, while Toluca and Tigres play for the other ticket.
Pumas was one of the most consistent sides this season, but their form against Veracruz was not as dominant as they would have expected. Meanwhile, América started their series against León as the underdogs, but a 4-1 win in the series' first leg gave them a boost that helped them reach the semis. Meanwhile, Tigres made the most of their multi-talented cast, and Toluca decided their series against Puebla thanks to a late goal by Fernando Uribe.
(1) Pumas vs Club América (4)
Having met just a couple of weeks ago, the league leaders will battle against their own demons when they face América, since they have never been able to defeat Las Aguilas in a knockout series. In fact, whenever América has eliminated Pumas in a playoff series, they end up winning the championship trophy. Just a year ago, América struggled to defeat Pumas during their Quarter-final matchup, but they took advantage of a late goal by Paolo Goltz to reach the semi-finals and eventually win the Apertura 2014 tournament.
First leg: Club América vs Pumas. Thursday, December 3rd, 20:00 EST at Estadio Azteca.
Second leg: Pumas vs Club América. Sunday, December 6th, 13:00 EST at Estadio Olímpico.
América's captain Rubens Sambueza (left) will be crucial to eliminate Pumas, who have Eduardo Herrera (right) as one of their main weapons up front.
(2) Toluca vs Tigres (3)
This will be the third time Toluca and Tigres battle for a spot in the finals, with Tigres having the upper hand so far in the series. Back in 2003, Tigres eliminated the Mexican Red Devils with a 2-0 aggregate. Last year's Apertura 2014 finals saw the same outcome, but this time neither side was able to score a single goal. Tigres was able to get to the final series thanks to the league standings criteria, having qualified as No. 2 a year ago.
In this regular season, Tigres was not able to defend their turf against Toluca, conceding a 1-0 defeat during the first match of the tournament. Ferretti's crew was more focused on reaching the Copa Libertadores' final, which they eventually did. Nevertheless, fate did not grant them the wish of becoming the first Mexican team to lift the trophy.
First leg: Tigres vs Toluca. Thursday, December 3rd, 22:00 EST at Estadio Universitario.
Second leg: Toluca vs Tigres. Sunday, December 6th, 19:00 EST at Estadio Nemesio Díez.
A lonely goal by Enrique Triverio(wearing the red kit) gave Toluca a slim 1-0 win over Tigres a few months ago. Will they be able to eliminate them for the first time in a knockout stage?
