High-flying Aguilas remain atop Liga MX Power Rankings

Matchday 13 is in the books and there were no surprises. Home teams won seven of the nine matches with the only exceptions being fourth-place Pachuca stealing a point from ninth-place Puebla and seventh-place Guadalajara escaping Tijuana (13th place) with a 2-1 win.

As such, there was very little movement in the Playing for 90 Power Rankings with red-hot América retaining its spot atop the Liga MX table and these rankings.

There’s little time to dwell on the final Midweek Matchday of the Apertura 2022 with Matchday 14 kicking off tonight with Monterrey visiting FC Juárez.

From our vantage point, the best matches of the weekend are both on Saturday night: León visits Tigres and the Chivas host Puebla.

Liga MX Power Rankings after Matchday 13

The figure in parentheses after each club’s name reflects the team’s movement compared to the previous rankings.

1. América (—)

Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Mazatlán FC was the eighth straight victory for the Aguilas, equaling their franchise record (but four short of the Liga MX record). Their 29 goals and +18 goal differential are both tops in Liga MX.

2. Pachuca (—)

The Tuzos erased a 2-0 deficit on the road at Puebla to steal a point from the Camoteros to extend their unbeaten streak to five games.

3. Tigres (+2)

The Tigres were impressive in their 3-1 win over Toluca but their bump in the rankings is more about the return to health of Florian Thauvin who had a goal and an assist in the win.

4. Monterrey (–1)

The Rayados held off a desperate Cruz Azul team to keep pace with América, but they still seem to play down to the level of their opponent instead of putting teams away.

5. Santos Laguna (–1)

The Guerreros bounced back from a gut-punch delivered by Pachuca last weekend to knock back a challenge from Necaxa. Coach Eduardo Fentanes has his club in position to earn the Liga MX Comeback Team of the Season after a 14th-place finish in the Clausura 2022.

6. Guadalajara (+1)

The Chivas are a team on the rise and their six-game unbeaten streak (4-2-0) has on the cusp of clinching a fifth consecutive Liga MX playoff berth.

7. Toluca (–1)

The Diablos Rojos have suddenly begun to look more like a pretender than a contender, tumbling down the Liga MX table thanks to a four-game winless streak (0-2-2). Still, after missing the playoffs last season, a wildcard spot is virtually assured in Year 2 of the Ignacio Ambriz Era.

8. Puebla (—)

The Camoteros just can’t find a way to win despite playing some very attractive football. “La Franja” is on an incredible 11-game winless streak (0-10-1).

9. Necaxa (–1)

Despite a lot of holes in their line-up and an erratic front line, the Rayos appear certain to snag a wildcard spot. They’ll likely lose to Liga MX leaders América this weekend, but then they close against Tijuana (13th), Mazatlán FC (10th) and Atlas (17th).

10. Mazatlán FC

The Cañoneros are trying to make the Liga MX playoffs for the second straight time (and only the second time ever in franchise history) but the road to Wildcard Weekend is a minefield – at Cruz Azul vs. Toluca, at Necaxa and at Santos Laguna. The Necaxa game would appear to be a must-win for The Purple Gang.

10. León (+3)

The Esmeraldas are in the playoff hunt and they’ll get a chance to test their mettle on Saturday at Tigres. Their schedule from there out is a breeze, but their 1-0 home win over FC Juárez was rather unconvincing and that came on the heels of a 1-5-0 stretch.

12. FC Juárez (—)

The Bravos are much improved over last season (last in the Liga MX table) but their next three games are killer – vs second-place Monterrey, vs fourth-place Pachuca and at third-place Santos Laguna.

13. Atlético de San Luis (–3)

The Tuneros have every reason to believe Liga MX officials are out to get them. An early score against América was annulled for a dubious push in the back, then América’s second goal was allowed to stand despite a clear foul by Diego Valdés.

14. Tijuana (–4)

The Xolos scored their first goal in five matches on Wednesday as they’ve gone 0-1-4. The late-season fade threatens to derail what started out as a promising bounce-back season (they finished 17th last season).

15. UNAM (+2)

The Pumas managed to pick up their first win in 10 games but as it came against last-place Querétaro, “los felinos” must avoid over-celebrating. Still, they are only 2 points out of a wildcard spot.

16. Cruz Azul (–1)

The Cementeros displayed some grit against Monterrey, fighting back from a 2-0 deficit on the road only to run out of gas and lose 3-2. “La Máquina” is at risk of missing the Liga MX playoffs for the first time since the Apertura 2019 season.

17. Atlas (–2)

The two-time defending champs actually face elimination this weekend against Atlético de San Luis. A loss to the Tuneros could unceremoniously end their reign thanks to a season ruined by injuries and fatigue.

18. Querétaro (—)

The Gallos Blancos are the worst team in the league, without question. Enough said.