Liga MX has announced the official Play-In schedules for the Apertura 2025, which will determine the final spots in the Liguilla. Tijuana will face Juárez and Pachuca will play Pumas on November 20. The winners will advance to the quarterfinals alongside the six direct qualifiers.
The end of the regular phase of the Apertura 2025 left Toluca as leader with 37 points, after beating América 2-0 with goals from Paulinho and Helinho. Tigres UANL tallied 36 points by winning 3-1 against Atlético de San Luis, while Cruz Azul finished with 35 despite losing 2-3 to Pumas. América ended fourth with 34 points, followed by Monterrey (31) and Guadalajara (29).
The Play-In teams are Tijuana (24 points), Juárez (23), Pachuca (22), and Pumas (21). The format features single matches at the home stadium of the higher-ranked team, with penalties in case of a tie. Serie A pits Tijuana against Juárez on November 20 at Estadio Caliente at 21:00 (Central Time), and Serie B has Pachuca versus Pumas at Estadio Hidalgo at 19:00 (Central Time). The loser of Serie A will face the winner of Serie B on November 22 or 23 for the eighth spot.
In the quarterfinals, the matchups will be: Toluca vs. winner of Serie B, Tigres vs. winner of Serie A, Cruz Azul vs. Guadalajara, and América vs. Monterrey. The first legs are scheduled for November 26 and 27, with second legs on November 29 or 30. Pumas came back 3-2 against Cruz Azul with goals from Jorge Ruvalcaba, Álvaro Angulo (penalty), and Alan Medina, after a brace by Gabriel Fernández and the expulsion of Lorenzo Faravelli. Guadalajara thrashed Monterrey 4-2 with strikes from Efraín Álvarez, Armando González, Roberto Alvarado, and Javier Hernández.