Welcome to the Weekly Clásico, a weekly column that predicts and previews the key matches for the upcoming La Liga and Liga MX matchweeks.
This weekend’s fixtures have massive implications for the Liga MX standings, as only two points separate first-place Cruz Azul and fourth-place Tigres. Heading into the final week, only two points separate Pumas, who are in tenth and currently hold the final play-in spot, and Necaxa, who are in 15th.
La Liga: Villarreal vs. Espanyol
The only notable matchup in La Liga, third-place Villarreal will travel to face sixth-place Espanyol.
Villarreal is coming off a shocking 1-nil Champions League loss to Cypriot side Pafos FC. The result should be taken with a grain of salt, as Villarreal completely dominated Pafos. Villarreal held Pafos to only three shots, with the lone goal coming from a corner-kick in the 46th minute. The Spanish side led in every metric, but simply failed to put the ball in the back of the net.
Espanyol struggles when facing high-level opposition. Besides their win over Atlético Madrid in the first match of the 2025-26 season and a 1-0 win against midtable side Elche, Espanyol has picked up most of its points against teams at the bottom of the table. Yet, Espanyol was held to a 0-0 draw with last-place Girona at the end of September.
Villarreal will utilize their solid backline and midfield to dictate possession and break down Espanyol, but expect Espanyol to pick up a consolation goal because of the home-field advantage.
Prediction: Villarreal 3, Espanyol 1
Liga MX: Toluca vs. Club América
A rematch of the 2025 Clausura final headlines Liga MX this weekend. The last time Mexican giant Club América and Toluca faced off was at the end of the 2025 Clausura season, when Toluca ended its 15-year championship drought.
Toluca is a well-rounded side and spent the majority of the 2025 Apertura season at the top of the table. However, after three straight draws, they have fallen to second place. Despite these results, the side has kept two clean sheets during the stretch. They have struggled offensively, though, going scoreless in two of these matches.
Throughout the season, Toluca has averaged an impressive 2.56 goals per match. The team’s star striker, Paulinho, is in the running for the league’s top scorer, and midfielder Nicolás Castro and forward Alexis Vega lead in assists this season.
América has been in decent form lately, picking up three wins in its last five league matches. A factor fans should keep their eyes on is how the side plays on the road compared to at home. In the 2025-26 season, all of América’s draws have come away from home. The team still averaged an excellent 1.88 goals in their eight away matches.
América’s key player to watch is winger Brian Rodríguez, who has 11 goal contributions in the 16 matches played.
Despite not being direct rivals, history shows that sparks will fly between the two clubs, and there will be no shortage of goal scoring.
Prediction: Toluca 2, Club América 2
Liga MX: Guadalajara vs. Monterrey
Sixth-place Guadalajara will host fifth-place Monterrey on Saturday at Akron Stadium.
Monterrey is under a lot of scrutiny from its fans. The side sat at the top of the table at one point and went on a seven-match winning streak in the process. However, their form became inconsistent and they registered just one win in their last five fixtures.
Monterrey developed a red card issue, and one player was sent off in each of their last two league matches. For this upcoming game, Rayados will be without midfielder Jorge Rodríguez, who saw red in the 32nd minute of Clásico Regiomontano last week.
Chivas de Guadalajara will have to pivot going into the final matchweek, given their current defensive issues. One of their primary center backs, Diego Campillo, broke his left fifth metatarsal during Chivas’ 4-1 win against Atlas at the end of October and is expected to be sidelined until February.
The side also lost another key defender, Luis Romo, during their 1-nil win against Pachuca last weekend. Romo will be serving a one-game suspension after picking up a red card in the 73rd minute. Reports have speculated that for this match against Monterrey, manager Gabriel Milito will move traditional midfielder Érick Gutiérrez and form a three-defender backline.
Chivas are led by young forward Armando González, who has become one of the breakout stars in Mexican fútbol recently. The 22-year-old impressed down the stretch of the season, registering four goals in the last two games, including a hat trick two weeks ago in the Clásico Tapatio. González’s productive stretch has led him to compete for the top scorer title with Atletico de San Luis’s João Pedro and Toluca’s Paulinho, all of whom are tied at 11 goals.
Chivas’ offensive production should offset their defensive issues, and given Monterrey’s lack of form down the stretch of the season, Guadalajara will come out on top.
Prediction: Guadalajara 2, Monterrey 1
Liga MX: Cruz Azul vs. Pumas
In a match with major implications on the final Liga MX standings, Cruz Azul and Pumas will face off on Sunday evening.
Both sides control their own destinies. Cruz Azul holds a one-point lead for first place in the table, and if they win, they get the top seed heading into the Apertura playoffs. If they drop points, they could potentially fall as far as fourth place.
There is only one playoff spot up for grabs heading into the final week. One point separates Pumas, who are in tenth, and the five teams chasing the final playoff spot. A win would secure the final spot for Pumas, but any other result would likely take the “Big Four” side out of the Liguilla.
Cruz Azul is riding a two-match win streak and is unbeaten in its last five matches. Pumas, on the other hand, has only one win in their last eight matches, and the side is struggling to find any offensive production. They are averaging just 1.31 goals per game, and scored more than two goals in a match just twice during the 2025 Apertura season.
Expect Cruz Azul to win comfortably and finish as the first seed, while Pumas continue to struggle to create and finish chances.
Prediction: Cruz Azul 2, Pumas 0