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Necaxa, Chivas put win streaks on line in season finale

By Thomas Buckley

Necaxa and Guadalajara have Liga MX wildcard berths sewn up but will aim to improve their playoff seeding on Friday at Estadio Victoria. (Photo by Alfredo Moya/Jam Media/Getty Images)
Necaxa and Guadalajara have Liga MX wildcard berths sewn up but will aim to improve their playoff seeding on Friday at Estadio Victoria. (Photo by Alfredo Moya/Jam Media/Getty Images) /
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Liga MX finale Rayos
Mazatlán FC hopes to make the Liga MX playoffs for the first time ever. To do so, the Cañoneros must defeat third-place Puebla. (Photo by Sergio Mejia/Getty Images) /

Liga MX doubleheader chock full of playoff implications

The conclusive Matchday 17 kicks off with a battle for playoff seeding between two of the hottest teams in Liga MX. Guadalajara travels to Aguascalientes to take on Necaxa at the Estadio Victoria, each with an impressive three-game win streak that clinched playoff berths.

Since sacking coach Marcelo Michel Leaño on April 14, the Chivas have defeated UNAM (3-1), Tijuana (2-1) and Cruz Azul to climb into seventh place. Necaxa’s three-game run features bigger victims: Puebla (1-0), Tigres (2-0) and Atlético de San Luis (4-2).

At 23 points heading into the season finale and playoff berths clinched, the Chivas and the Rayos are clumped alongside Monterrey and San Luis, but the first tiebreaker – point differential – favors Guadalajara. Monterrey follows in eighth, Necaxa in ninth and the Tuneros in 10th.

The winner of this match could rise as high as fifth and the loser sink as low as 11th. A draw could see the teams drop to ninth and 10th, respectively. And since seeds No. 5-8 host their respective wildcard match, there is great incentive to win on Friday night.

The Rayos have won two straight at home after winning just once in their first six games at Estadio Victoria. The Chivas have not lost on the road since a 2-1 setback against León at the Camp Nou. Overall, Guadalajara is 2-3-2 away from home.

In Friday’s nightcap, Puebla visits Mazatlán FC in a game involving playoff aspirations for both teams.

Puebla can remain in third place and secure a first-round bye with a win. (The top four seeds in the Liga MX playoffs advance directly to the quarterfinal round while teams 5-12 square off in a one-game wildcard round). “La Franja” could fall as low as 10th with a loss so they can’t afford to take the Cañoneros lightly.

To prevent such a collapse, coach Nicolás Larcamón must help the Camoteros figure out how to score as his team has been shut out in two straight games, going more than 405 minutes without finding the net.

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As for the home team, Mazatlán aims to make its first-ever Liga MX postseason appearance, but to do so the Cañoneros (in 13th place with 18 points) must defeat Puebla and hope that León and/or the Pumas lose.

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