# Apertura 2018 Liga MX final phase

The Apertura 2018 Liga MX championship stage commonly known as Liguilla (mini league) was played from 28 November 2018 to 16 December 2018. A total of eight teams competed in the championship stage to decide the champions of the Apertura 2018 Liga MX season. Both finalists qualified to the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League.

## Qualified teams

The following 8 teams qualified for the championship stage.
In the following table, the number of appearances, last appearance, and previous best result count only those in the short tournament era starting from Invierno 1996 (not counting those in the long tournament era from 1943–44 to 1995–96).
| Team | Seed | Points | Appearance | Last appearance | Previous best |
| Cruz Azul | 1 | 36 | 28th | Apertura 2017 | Champions (Invierno 1997) |
| América | 2 | 33 | 31st | Clausura 2018 | Champions (4 times) |
| UNAM | 3 | 30 (+10) | 22nd | Clausura 2018 | Champions (4 times) |
| Santos Laguna | 4 | 30 (+9) | 29th | Clausura 2018 | Champions (6 times) |
| Monterrey | 5 | 30 (+6) | 21st | Clausura 2018 | Champions (3 times) |
| UANL | 6 | 29 | 23rd | Clausura 2018 | Champions (4 times) |
| Toluca | 7 | 26 (+5) | 32nd | Clausura 2018 | Champions (7 times) |
| Querétaro | 8 | 26 (–1) | 10th | Clausura 2015 | Runners-up (Clausura 2015) |

## Format

* Teams were re-seeded each round.
* Team with more goals on aggregate after two matches advanced.
* Away goals rule was applied in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, but not the final.
* In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, if the two teams were tied on aggregate and away goals, the higher seeded team advanced.
* In the final, if the two teams were tied after both legs, the match went to extra time and, if necessary, a shoot-out.
* Both finalists qualified to the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League.

## Bracket

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Cruz Azul | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Querétaro | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Querétaro | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Cruz Azul (s) | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | Monterrey | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | |
| 4 | Santos Laguna | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | Monterrey | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | |
| 5 | Monterrey | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Monterrey | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | 1 | Cruz Azul | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | América | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | América | 2 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | América | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 7 | Toluca | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Toluca | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | América | 1 | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 3 | UNAM | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | |
| 3 | UNAM | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | UNAM | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | |
| 6 | UANL | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |

## Quarter-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Querétaro | 1–3 | Cruz Azul | 0–2 | 1–1 |
| Toluca | 4–5 | América | 2–2 | 2–3 |
| UANL | 3–4 | UNAM | 2–1 | 1–3 |
| Monterrey | 3–0 | Santos Laguna | 1–0 | 2–0 |
All times are UTC−5

### Second leg

Cruz Azul won 3–1 on aggregate.
Monterrey won 3–0 on aggregate.
UNAM won 4–3 on aggregate.
América won 5–4 on aggregate.

## Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Monterrey | 1–1 (s) | Cruz Azul | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| UNAM | 2–7 | América | 1–1 | 1–6 |
All times are UTC−5

### Second leg

1–1 on aggregate and tied on away goals. Cruz Azul advanced for being the higher seed in the classification table.
América won 7–2 on aggregate.

## Finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| América | 2–0 | Cruz Azul | 0–0 | 2–0 |

### First leg
#### Details

| América | Cruz Azul |
| GK | 1 | Agustín Marchesín |
| DF | 3 | Jorge Sánchez |
| DF | 19 | Emanuel Aguilera | | 90+7' |
| DF | 18 | Bruno Valdez |
| DF | 22 | Paul Aguilar (c) | | 90+3' |
| MF | 14 | Joe Corona |
| MF | 5 | Guido Rodríguez |
| MF | 20 | Diego Lainez | 70' |
| MF | 8 | Mateus Uribe | 58' |
| MF | 30 | Renato Ibarra | | 42' |
| FW | 9 | Roger Martínez | 80' |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 27 | Óscar Jiménez |
| DF | 4 | Edson Álvarez |
| DF | 12 | Luis Reyes |
| MF | 10 | Cecilio Domínguez | 80' |
| MF | 11 | Andrés Ibargüen | 70' |
| FW | 21 | Henry Martín |
| FW | 24 | Oribe Peralta | 58' |
| Manager: ||
| Miguel Herrera ||
| GK | 1 | José de Jesús Corona (c) |
| DF | 16 | Adrián Aldrete |
| DF | 5 | Igor Lichnovsky |
| DF | 2 | Pablo Aguilar |
| DF | 4 | Julio César Domínguez |
| MF | 23 | Iván Marcone | | 90+3' |
| MF | 8 | Javier Salas |
| MF | 11 | Elías Hernández | 78' |
| MF | 25 | Roberto Alvarado |
| MF | 17 | Édgar Méndez | | 88' |
| FW | 9 | Milton Caraglio | 89' | 18' |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 12 | Guillermo Allison |
| DF | 27 | José Madueña |
| DF | 30 | Jordan Silva |
| MF | 13 | Ángel Mena |
| MF | 22 | Rafael Baca | 78' |
| FW | 7 | Martín Cauteruccio | 89' |
| FW | 18 | Andrés Rentería |
| Manager: ||
| Pedro Caixinha ||
* Assistant referees:
* Marvin Torrentera (Mexico City)
* Alberto Morin Méndez (Chihuahua)
* Fourth official:
* Luis Enrique Santander (Guanajuato)
* Video assistant referee:
* Miguel Ángel Chacón (Guerrero)
* Assistant video assistant referee:
* Quetzalli Alvarado (Mexico City)

#### Statistics

| Statistic | América | Cruz Azul |
| Goals scored | 0 | 0 |
| Total shots | 8 | 7 |
| Shots on target | 2 | 1 |
| Saves | 1 | 2 |
| Ball possession | 52% | 48% |
| Corner kicks | 2 | 2 |
| Fouls committed | 15 | 14 |
| Offsides | 1 | 3 |
| Yellow cards | 3 | 3 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |

### Second leg

América won 2–0 on aggregate.

#### Details

| Cruz Azul | América |
| GK | 1 | José de Jesús Corona (c) |
| DF | 16 | Adrián Aldrete | 81' |
| DF | 5 | Igor Lichnovsky |
| DF | 2 | Pablo Aguilar |
| DF | 4 | Julio César Domínguez |
| MF | 11 | Elías Hernández |
| MF | 8 | Javier Salas | 58' |
| MF | 23 | Iván Marcone |
| MF | 17 | Édgar Méndez |
| FW | 7 | Martín Cauteruccio | 46' | 16' |
| FW | 9 | Milton Caraglio |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 12 | Guillermo Allison |
| DF | 15 | Gerardo Flores | | 87' |
| DF | 27 | José Madueña |
| MF | 13 | Ángel Mena | 81' |
| MF | 22 | Rafael Baca |
| MF | 25 | Roberto Alvarado | 46' | 82' |
| FW | 18 | Andrés Rentería | 58' |
| Manager: ||
| Pedro Caixinha ||
| GK | 1 | Agustín Marchesín |
| DF | 3 | Jorge Sánchez | | 45+1' |
| DF | 19 | Emanuel Aguilera | | 40' |
| DF | 18 | Bruno Valdez |
| DF | 22 | Paul Aguilar |
| MF | 20 | Diego Lainez | 84' |
| MF | 4 | Edson Álvarez |
| MF | 5 | Guido Rodríguez |
| MF | 30 | Renato Ibarra | 70' |
| FW | 24 | Oribe Peralta (c) | 77' | 64' |
| FW | 21 | Henry Martín |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 27 | Óscar Jiménez |
| DF | 12 | Luis Reyes |
| MF | 10 | Cecilio Domínguez | 70' |
| MF | 11 | Andrés Ibargüen | 84' | 86' |
| MF | 14 | Joe Corona | 77' |
| FW | 17 | Cristian Insaurralde |
| FW | 23 | Antonio López |
| Manager: ||
| Miguel Herrera ||
* Assistant referees:
* José Luis Camargo (Estado de México)
* Marcos Quintero (Jalisco)
* Fourth official:
* Jorge Isaac Rojas (Mexico City)
* Video assistant referee:
* Ángel Monroy (Morelos)

#### Statistics

| Statistic | Cruz Azul | América |
| Goals scored | 0 | 2 |
| Total shots | 5 | 12 |
| Shots on target | 0 | 9 |
| Saves | 7 | 0 |
| Ball possession | 55% | 45% |
| Corner kicks | 0 | 3 |
| Fouls committed | 11 | 21 |
| Offsides | 1 | 0 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 4 |
| Red cards | 1 | 0 |

## Statistics
### Goalscorers
#### 3 goals

* Bruno Valdez (América)

#### 2 goals

* Emanuel Aguilera (América)
* Edson Álvarez (América)
* Carlos González (UNAM)
* Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey)
* Diego Lainez (América)
* Roger Martínez (América)
* Felipe Mora (UNAM)

#### 1 goal

* Pablo Aguilar (Cruz Azul)
* Paul Aguilar (América)
* Matías Alustiza (UNAM)
* Javier Aquino (UANL)
* Milton Caraglio (Cruz Azul)
* William (Toluca)
* Jesús Dueñas (UANL)
* Elías Hernández (Cruz Azul)
* Renato Ibarra (América)
* Édgar Méndez (Cruz Azul)
* Rodolfo Pizarro (Monterrey)
* Guido Rodríguez (América)
* Martín Rodríguez (UNAM)
* Luis Romo (Querétaro)
* Rubens Sambueza (Toluca)
* Nicolás Sánchez (Monterrey)
* Fernando Tobio (Toluca)
* Alexis Vega (Toluca)

#### Own goal

* Alfredo Saldívar (for UANL)

### Assists
#### 4 assists

* Mateus Uribe (América)

#### 2 assists

* Adrián Aldrete (Cruz Azul)
* Renato Ibarra (América)
* Víctor Malcorra (UNAM)
* Oribe Peralta (América)
* Carlos Rodríguez (Monterrey)

#### 1 assist

* Paul Aguilar (América)
* Javier Aquino (UANL)
* Pablo Barrera (UNAM)
* Cecilio Domínguez (América)
* Carlos González (UNAM)
* Avilés Hurtado (Monterrey)
* Édgar Méndez (Cruz Azul)
* Alan Mozo (UNAM)
* Dorlan Pabón (Monterrey)
* Guido Pizarro (UANL)
* Rubens Sambueza (Toluca)
* Jorge Sánchez (América)
* Enrique Triverio (Toluca)