The Mexican postseason kicks off Wednesday night with a pair of opening matches, as the Liga MX Liguilla moves towards crowing the champion of the 2012 Apertura.

Cruz Azul - Club Leon, Estadio Azul, Mexico City, Wednesday, 19:00 local
The playoffs begin in Mexico City with a battle between the stingiest defense and the most prolific offense of the 2012 Apertura.

Sixth-seeded Cruz Azul allowed the fewest goals of any team in the regular season -- just 15 in 17 games, including only six in nine home games. The La Maquina didn't lose at home in nine games, but their record was still less than triumphant in the Estadio Azul, as the Cement Makers managed only three wins to go with their six draws.

Leon comes into the match as the tournament's leading offensive side, having scored 34 times for an average of two goals per contest, with an impressive five players logging in with six or more goals. Things have been tougher on the road for La Fiera, however, as it has scored only 12 times outside the friendly confines of Estadio Camp Nou.

These teams met at the Estadio Azul on match day five, playing to a 1-1 draw. Luis Montes scored for Leon, but second half sub Pablo Barrera leveled shortly thereafter for La Maquina. The playoff series wraps up with a return match in Leon on Saturday.

Morelia - America, Estadio Morelos, Morelia, Wednesday, 21:00 local
In the showdown between the fourth and fifth seeds in tournament, much looks even. Both teams finished the year in good form, and enter the playoffs on a positive run.

But in the case of this rivalry, which has become a modern clasico, one team has had the clear upper hand of late. In the last ten encounters between America and Morelia, the Michoacán side has won seven and tied twice.

If the Eagles are to move on to the semis, Miguel Herrera's side will need to improve on that record, while continuing to play the tight defense that allowed less than a goal per game this season. That will be a challenge on Wednesday, as America will be without starting defender Aquivaldo Mosquera, who is away on international duty with Colombia. Morelia is also missing its own Colombian international defender, Aldo Leao.

If there's one definite positive trend in all this for Herrera, it's that the side from Coapa has this year's best record on the road. A result Wednesday would put America on track to take advantage of the return leg back at Estadio El Azteca on Saturday afternoon.

Monterrey - Club Tijuana, Estadio Tecnologico, Monterrey, Thursday, 19:00 local
In another attractive first round matchup, Club Tijuana has a true test in terms of proving once and for all that it belongs at the highest levels of Mexican club football, when the Xolos face Monterrey in the first of a pair of quarterfinal matches, Thursday evening in El Volcan.

Club Tijuana was one of the surprises of the tournament, managing to maintain excellent form throughout the Apertura, and finishing a strong second on 34 points, tied with Toluca at the top. The Xolos were excellent on the road throughout the Apertura, racking up 16 points as visitors.

The runner-up of the 2012 Clausura, Monterrey had a less impressive tournament this fall, only securing a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season. Club Tijuana knows, however, how dangerous the two-time defending CONCACAF champion can be. The Rayados faced the Xolos in the same round of the last tournament, with Monterrey going through on a 4-3 aggregate after a hard fought home-and-away series.

Guadalajara - Toluca, Estadio OmniLife, Zapopan, Thursday, 21:00 local
In Thursday's nightcap, Guadalajara takes the field at home against the Apertura's top regular season team, Toluca.

The host is looking to redeem itself after what has generally been seen as a mediocre campaign, but one in which the Goats managed to make the Liguilla despite losing on the final match day at home to Club Tijuana.

Toluca, for its part, has been solid all season. Enrique Meza's team was third best in the league on the road this campaign, and also beat Chivas at home on the first match day, 2-1.

Both teams are coming off absences from the post season. Chivas missed the playoffs in the Clausura 2012, while this year will mark Toluca's first post season since 2010. In previous Liguilla meetings, Toluca has taken four of six from the Guadalajara side.