Sunday’s calendar is highlight of Matchday 11

The Liga MX season is approaching the top of the back stretch and six clubs are within 3 points of first place as early front-runners have come back to the pack.

The slog of midweek games and a compressed schedule is taking a toll on teams, even those with deep benches.

The calendar provides teams with a bit of breather this coming week but the slate of Matchday 11 contests features several intriguing match-ups that could go a long way toward determining seedings for the Liga MX playoffs.

Of course, one truism that Liga MX fans have come to embrace is “Expect the unexpected.” With that in mind, here is a quick look at the weekend program, starting with tonight’s double-header.

FC Juárez at Puebla

Just like last season, Puebla started strong then settled into a rut. Since opening the Apertura 2022 with a pair of victories, the Camoteros are winless. Nicolás Larcamón has watched his team tumble from first to ninth thanks to a 0-7-1 streak

Puebla lacks a clinical finisher up front (Is Jozy Altidore the answer?), but their tactical efficiency keeps them in every match.

The visiting Bravos are a much-improved team and their 2-1-2 road record (they were 2-1-5 away from home last season when they finished last in the Liga MX table) gives them hope of claiming a wildcard berth. A win or draw at Estadio Cuauhtémoc could serve as a stepping-stone to greater things.

América at Mazatlán FC

Unfortunately for the host Cañoneros, América is the hottest team in Liga MX (five straight wins while outscoring opponents 16-1). The fourth-place Aguilas could rise to the top of the table with a win pending the rest of the weekend results.

If Mazatlán hopes to replicate its first-ever postseason appearance of last season, a home win against “Los AzulCremas” would announce their intentions. It would also please former Aguilas-cum-Cañoneros Nicolás Benedetti and Jorge Mere no end.

Liga MX also-rans kick off Saturday agenda

Soccer fans might best be advised to give the Cruz Azul-Querétaro match a miss. This game at Estadio Azteca pits the worst two teams in the league and the less said the better.

The scene shifts to Aguascalientes thereafter with the second-place Tigres paying a visit to hot-and-cold Necaxa. Tigres coach Miguel Herrera is hearing it from fans as his club has been playing tentatively since compiling an impressive six-game win streak.

“Los felinos” went scoreless for 210+ minutes before a late, late header by André-Pierre Gignac allowed the Tigres to snatch a tie against UNAM on Wednesday. With a short turnaround, the powerhouse club might be vulnerable to an aggressive, pressing attack in what looks to be a classic trap game.

The Tigres might be looking past Necaxa at next weekend’s titanic showdown with América at Estadio Azteca. The Rayos will be desperate for a positive result after the spanking they received from the Chivas last weekend.

Speaking of the Chivas, they play host to the struggling Pumas with a great chance to win their third in a row. This after starting the season 0-6-2.

“El Rebaño Sagrado” could climb into the thick of the wildcard race with a win but Ricardo Cadena’s men have won just once at home while scoring twice in six matches at Estadio Akron. Fortunately, they are playing UNAM, one the most dysfunctional teams in Liga MX. The Pumas were the last club to suffer a loss this season, but they have only one win.

Liga MX title contenders show up on Sunday

Six of the top eight teams are in action Sunday with the High Noon showdown in “La Bombonera” being the most attractive contest.

Second-place Toluca welcomes sixth-place Pachuca (last season’s losing finalist) in a game that could impact who gets a first-round bye in the Liga MX playoffs. The host Diablos are still grappling with the complicated tactics to which coach Ignacio Ambriz ascribes but they’ve shown flashes of great potential.

Pachuca appears to be rediscovering the form that propelled them to the top seed last season, but we less than 10 days removed from the 3-0 shellacking meted out by América. That was the Tuzos first home loss since Sept. 13 of last year.

The Atlas at León contest is a rematch of the Apertura 2021 Finals that saw Atlas claim its first Liga MX title in 70 years. This season finds both clubs buried in the standings. The loser of this match could see its playoff dreams fade out.

Seventh-place Atlético de San Luis travels to Torreón to take on fifth-place Santos Laguna. The Tuneros are unbeaten on the road this season (1-4-0) while the Guerreros are the best home team in Liga MX (4-1-0). André Jardine has San Luis punching above its weight as demonstrated by its road win at Toluca last Sunday.

In the nightcap, Monterrey visits a slumping Tijuana side that has its bounce-back season at the point of derailing. The Xolos finished in 17th place last season but were in fourth place only 10 days ago before suffering a pair of 2-0 setbacks.

The Rayados seemed poised to run away from the pack earlier this month but have hit the skids, going 0-2-1 in their last three. With striker Rogelio Funes Mori sidelined, its time for new acquisitions Rodrigo Aguirre and Germán Berterame to step up.