Clausura 2023 sees Chivas make best Liga MX start in over 10 years

Chivas Guadalajara’s weekend win over Pumas left Veljko Paunovic’s men on 15 points with eight games played - the club’s best start to a Liga MX tournament in over a decade.

Chivas haven’t begun so strongly since the Apertura 2011, when they picked up 17 points from wins over Monterrey, Tijuana, Morelia, Atlante and Jaguares, and draws with Pumas and Pachuca.

In that tournament, Guadalajara finished the regular season as Liga MX leaders, but their hopes of lifting the Mexican title were ended by a quarter-final defeat to Querétaro in the postseason playoffs.

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Chivas well placed to qualify directly for Clausura 2023 playoffs

Now, with Chivas fifth in the regular-season standings - one point behind Club América and Pachuca in third and fourth, respectively - the Rebaño Sagrado are in contention to seal automatic qualification for the Liga MX playoffs.

At the end of the Clausura 2023‘s league phase, the top four will advance directly to the postseason proper, while the clubs that finish fifth to 12th will move into a preliminary ‘play-in’ round.

Chivas’ 15-point haul so far is still some way short of their start to the Bicentenario 2010, however. That year, the 12-time Mexican champions won their first eight games to pick up a maximum 24 points.

Difficult Liga MX fixtures ahead for Guadalajara

Chivas have a tough schedule coming up, as their next four Liga MX games are away to Tigres, at home to Santos Laguna, away to Puebla and, in the latest edition of Mexico’s Superclásico, at home to arch rivals Club América.