Predictions and Best Bets for the Liga MX 2021 Apertura Quarterfinals (November 27-28)

The second legs of the Liga MX 2021 Apertura quarterfinals take place this weekend.

Two of the first legs ended goalless in midweek, while there were 2-1 wins for both Santos Laguna and Club Puebla. You can the weekend’s schedule below, along with the aggregate scores.

Club America and Pumas UNAM go head-to-head in Saturday’s early kick-off before Atlas hosts Monterrey. On Sunday, Tigres UANL and Club Leon will aim to overturn first-leg deficits.

I share my predictions for all four Liga MX Apertura quarterfinals in this post, as well as my best Liga MX betting picks for this weekend.

The Pumas can count themselves unfortunate to have come away from the first leg without anything to show for their efforts.

In fact, it’s fair to say that Andres Lillini’s side dominated Club America. They enjoyed the majority of possession and racked up 14 shots on home soil, limiting the visitors to just a single attempt on target.

Let’s not forget that America suffered just two defeats in 17 regular-season games this year. As a result, Santiago Solari’s men finished five points clear atop the standings – and 14 points ahead of eleventh-place Pumas UNAM.

It is also worth noting that America boasts the best defensive record in Liga MX. Having achieved five shutouts in their past seven outings, I’m backing the Eagles to advance on Saturday.

The first leg between these two sides was relatively even. Monterrey edged the possession on home soil, but Atlas registered more shots on target than the hosts.

Monterrey managed just one attempt on target throughout the 90 minutes, while Atlas recorded three shots on Monterrey’s goal. Still, the game ended goalless.

On the flip side, the Foxes have lost just one of their past five matches. They have also kept three clean sheets in that time, underlining their defensive power.

I expect Atlas and Monterrey to produce another tight encounter on Saturday. However, I can see the Foxes edging out Monterrey. With the home-field advantage on their side, they have a significant edge.

Despite seeing just 36% of the ball on Thursday, Santos Laguna managed to claim an impressive 2-1 victory over Tigres UANL.

Goals from Diego Valdes and Eduardo Aguirre saw Santos race into a 2-0 lead inside 12 minutes. Andre-Pierre Gignac pulled a goal back for Tigres in the second half, but the hosts held on to secure the first-leg advantage.

Fourth-place Tigres finished only four points ahead of fifth-place Santos in the standings. It is also worth pointing out that both sides lost three of their 17 regular-season outings.

With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sunday’s second leg ended in a draw. Los Verdiblancos already have a one-goal advantage, so they will likely sit back and defend their lead.

Although Puebla was on home soil for the first leg, Leon was the bookies’ favorite to win on Thursday. As it turned out, the hosts upset the odds.

Jaine Barreiro gave Leon the lead midway through the first half, but Pablo Parra equalized two minutes later. Despite consistent pressure from the visitors, Maximiliano Araujo scored the winner late on.

I’m confident that Ariel Holan’s men will turn things around on Sunday. If they play to the best of their ability, they will be too strong for Puebla.

The Emeralds have only lost five of their previous 14 meetings with Puebla, picking up eight wins along the way. I can see them adding another victory to their impressive record this weekend.

Let’s wrap things up by checking out my recommended betting picks for the second legs of the Liga MX Apertura quarterfinals.

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First, I’m backing America to beat Pumas. The Pumas impressed in the first leg, but there is no denying that America has more than enough firepower to triumph on home soil.

This season, only three of Atlas’ 18 matches have produced three or more goals. For that reason alone, the under 2.5 goals market looks very attractive for the second leg of their tie with Monterrey.

Finally, I’m confident that Leon will get the better of Puebla. This price for the home win isn’t overly generous, but it feels like a solid bet to me.