Xolos from Tijuana shocked everyone when they defeated Cruz Azul 3-0 in the first leg of their quarterfinal series. Cruz Azul not only entered the game as the first place team, but also set a regular season points record, only to be completely dominated from start to finish in a game where they finished with 10 players. Cruz Azul will have the tie-breaker if they get a three-goal win in the second leg, but they need to win by three goals to advance to the semi-finals, against a Xolos side that looks halfway there. to create the biggest surprise in Liga MX 2024.

The first half started with Xolos having their best starting XI, while Cruz Azul only had Giorgos Giakoumakis at the top. Outside the penalty area, Carlos Rotondi shot just wide of the goal with his right foot. After a 1-on-1 game, Jose Zuñiga fired a low shot past Cruz Azul goalkeeper Kevin Mier and into the net. The goal was ruled offside, but after going to VAR, the referee correctly allowed the goal and Tijuana had a 1-0 lead. Xolos had another 1v1, but Kevin Castañeda threw his ball over Mier, but also wide, wasting a great chance. It was 1-on-1 again for Xolos when Efrain Alvarez won the ball, made a run and then fired a low left-footed shot past Mier to score and give Xolos a 2-0 lead. It was a surprising start for the home side as Cruz Azul faltered. After kicking Zuñiga while trying to get the ball, Jorge Sanchez received a red card. Cruz Azul only had 10 players left and didn’t want to use him for the second leg. After receiving the ball in the penalty area, Aaron Mejia shot with his left foot, which deflected just wide of the goal. After receiving the ball, Emanuel Reynoso made a great run past two defenders and got into the box before lofting the ball over Mier to score a great goal and give Xolos a 3-0 lead. Tijuana had made a statement in the first half against a faltering Cruz Azul team. The half-time whistle blew and Xolos took the lead with a commanding lead that surprised everyone in Mexico.

The second half began with Tijuana Emanuel Reynoso coming on for Fernando Monarrez. Xolos controlled possession while Cruz Azul sat back and tried to counter, knowing they had an uphill battle with only 10 players left. Tijuana replaced Kevin Castañeda and Rafael Fernandez with Gilberto Mora and Ivan Tona. Cruz Azul replaced Giorgos Giakoumakis for Angel Sepulveda. Mier was just able to reach a cross into the penalty area before Zuñiga was able to take advantage of a header opportunity from close range. After receiving the ball in the penalty area, Tona shot with his right foot, forcing Mier to make a good save. Tijuana replaced Christian Alvarez and Raul Zuñiga with Joe Corona and Jaime Alvarez. Cruz Azul replaced Luis Romo and Lorenzo Faravelli for Carlos Rodriguez and Andres Montaño. Tijuana dominated possession against a Cruz Azul team that had a clear mission to prevent the home team from scoring another goal. Cruz Azul replaced Alexis Gutierrez for Gabriel Fernandez. A cross into the penalty area missed Mier, but Unai Bilbao didn’t get the ball and Mier was able to win it back after his mistake. The game ended and there was a scuffle between some substitutes from both teams, but nothing came of it.

After an enthusiastic regular season, Cruz Azul came crashing down on Wednesday night. Xolos, who only qualified through the play-in last Sunday, were strong underdogs but surprised Cruz Azul with early goals from the start. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio was well prepared and his long-ball strategy paid off with some 1v1 games, two of which resulted in goals. To make matters worse, the red card for Jorge Sanchez not only damaged the team but also means he cannot play the second leg. Still, many people feel that a 3-0 result isn’t enough, and since Cruz Azul has the tie-breaker should the aggregate result be a draw, they’re all in. In the regular season, Cruz Azul won 3-0 against Tijuana and they were a solid home team that scored a lot of goals in the regular season. But if Xolos are well prepared and have good counterattack weapons, they could be able to break through Cruz Azul’s defense, which looked really weak in Tijuana, and may be more vulnerable as the home team needs to attack. It should be a good game on Saturday.