The most efficient attack in Liga MX

Data from fotmob and Wyscout. Photo from AS Mexico.

Thought: Whilst there’s a correlation between the amount of final third entries, box entries and xG created, teams can generate a higher goal probability per game by being more efficient inside the final third.

After 6 matches, and despite beginning the tournament without their starters, Club América have the best attack in the league. América is league leader in xG, goals, shots on target, clear chances and touches in the box. However, no one has attempted fewer crosses into the box than Las Águilas.

This trend isn’t new for Clausura 2025. By analyzing the whole of 2024-25, we can see that América have the best xG per game in the division, but only Santos have crossed fewer times per match.

Toluca have had a similar idea, but teams like Cruz Azul and Tigres, with similarly high xG values, have attempted far more crosses per game.

It seems that América’s ideas and the quality of their players have created the most efficient attack in the league. In general, there’s a correlation between a team’s amount of ball progressions to the final third, their box arrivals and xG created.

América, who don’t press with a lot of intensity under André Jardine, don’t control matches like other strong Liga MX teams, enter the final third on fewer occasions per game. Las Águilas only rank 9th in 2024-25 for their amount of final third entries. Taking this metric into account, their generation of box entries and xG is a lot higher than the trend within the league suggests it should be.

América is the most effective team at converting final third entries into box entries…

…and at converting box entries into dangerous goal-scoring chances.

The importance of the half-spaces

América don’t arrive in the box frequently via crosses from out wide, and aren’t entering the box that often from the center of the pitch (which is normally the area with the least amount of space available). The strength of Jardine’s team is in the half-spaces, the zones between the wings and the center of the pitch.

We can visualize this trend by dividing their box entries into various zones. The heat map shows where América’s passes and carries into the box started from.

The dark blue zones, in the half-spaces, show the locations where their passes and carries into the box most frequently come from.

But what are Las Águilas doing in these half-spaces? How are they progressing the ball into the penalty area?

The next graphic shows América’s successful passes from the half-space towards the box. I’ve only taken into account their previous 4 Clausura 2025 matches, to see actions from América’s starters.

From the left- Combinations in tight spaces

On the left side, América can exploit the quality of their players at carrying the ball and playing in tight spaces. Álvaro Fidalgo (1) and Brian Rodríguez (3) both rank very highly within their positions for the concept of ball carrying and dribbles. Brian is a frequent starter on the left, holding width before drifting inside with the ball at his feet, whilst midfielder Fidalgo has long shown a tendency to move towards the left-wing in order to find space and help create ball progression.

Also, América’s striker is often an important part of their left-sided attacks, especially is Henry Martín or Víctor Dávila are playing. Both strikers tend to drift towards the left and are effective at connecting attacks.

There’s a good example in the recent match vs Atlético San Luis. With Brian carrying the ball inside, Dávila, rather than waiting for a cross inside the box, moves to open a passing lane, creating the possibility to receive a pass, combine and progress the box to the box.

Brian moves after making the pass, and Dávila plays back to him with his first touch to complete the wall pass and create a dangerous situation.

From the right- Through balls to create cut-backs

In the right half-space, América have shown a tendency to look for through balls towards space behind the opposing defense. At times, Las Águilas try to find the movement of an attacking full-back, with Alejandro Zendejas, who normally starts from the right, moving inside when América progress to the final third, as Kevin Álvarez or Dagoberto Espinoza overlap. However, Zendejas also has the ability to make runs in-behind a defense, for example in this situation after a set-piece.

This example also shows América’s mentality and intention to create chances from inside the box, instead of crossing from outside. It looks like Érick Sánchez will cross from here, but he takes another touch, to attract the San Luis defenders closer to the ball and open more space for Zendejas.

Zendejas attacks the space and Sánchez threads the pass through, whilst Dávila positions himself in-front of his marker, and ends up scoring an easy finish following a cut-back from Zendejas.

América’s attacking ideas in the final third have been a key part of their tricampeonato, combining theory regarding the most dangerous chance-creating methods with the specific abilities of their players and either side of the pitch, and it isn’t just the men’s side that have shown excellent efficiency in the final third. Last month I wrote about América femenil’s highly prolific attack, which does attempt more crosses, but focus on key crossing and cut-back zones, where there’s a higher possibility of scoring.

If anyone’s going to stop Jardine’s team from winning another title, it’s important to reduce their number of box entries from the half-spaces. Preventing their combinations in small spaces on the left side, and marking the runs in-behind on the right side, will be key concepts to ending América’s winning run.

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