Tijuana and Atlas Face Off in Decisive Liga MX Play-In Match

Tijuana and Atlas are set to battle in a crucial Liga MX Play-In match that offers a final chance to secure a spot in the Quarterfinals of the Liga MX Apertura 2024. This encounter comes after Club América‘s nail-biting victory over Tijuana in a penalty shootout, which allowed them to advance directly to the Liguilla.

The match will take place on Sunday, November 24, 2024, at Estadio Caliente, starting at 21:00 hours Central Mexico Time. For viewers in the United States, the match will be broadcast on TUDN and ViX, slated for 22:00 Eastern Time and 19:00 Pacific Time.

This match is part of the Play-In framework instituted since Apertura 2023, a format that has replaced the traditional eight-team repechage. Under this new system, only the teams placed seventh through tenth face off for the remaining two spots in the Quarterfinals. Historically, the teams ranked seventh and eighth have consistently advanced, a trend known as «sporting justice.»

Juan Carlos Osorio‘s Tijuana aims to extend this tradition as they seek victory against Atlas, who themselves have generated significant excitement among fans, including celebrities like Peso Pluma and Julián Quiñones, for their passionate following of the rojinegros.

In recent tournaments, similar matchups have witnessed the seventh-placed teams often emerging victorious. In the inaugural tournament of this format, San Luis secured their spot by defeating León, while León later overcame Santos for the final Liguilla berth. Similarly, Pumas claimed a Liguilla spot after overcoming Tuzos on penalties, with Tuzos subsequently defeating Necaxa to secure the ultimate ticket.

This year, Tijuana, along with América, Chivas, and Atlas, have contested the Play-In positions. América’s penalty win over Tijuana granted them a direct pass to the Liguilla, leaving Tijuana and Atlas to vie for the last available spot in Sunday’s critical match.