Chivas de Guadalajara scraped into the Liga MX playoffs despite losing their final league game 2-0 to Tijuana on Sunday.
Favorable results in other games meant that when Chivas kicked off at the Estadio Omnilife they were already guaranteed a place in the liguilla. Knowledge of this may have bred complacency, as the home team conceded twice in the first three minutes and never recovered.
The defeat to Tijuana saw the Guadalajara club drop down into the eighth and final playoff birth, but given Chivas’ underwhelming start to the season it remains a significant triumph to have qualified at the expense of Mexico’s two most recent champions, Santos and Tigres.
Chivas will now face Toluca, who finished top of the league, in a two-legged tie to determine which side progresses to the playoff semi-finals.
Chivas’ local rivals Atlas finished the season second from bottom and at risk of demotion to Mexico’s second division if they do not improve next year.
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