Monterrey lost 2-1 at home to Tigres, but the final aggregate score in the quarterfinal series finished 4-3 in favor of Rayados. Monterrey has now eliminated Tigres in the playoffs in five consecutive occasions.
In the Liguilla, when it matters, Monterrey have come out victorious in the Clasico Regio.
Here are three takes after Antonio Mohamed's men advanced to the Liga MX semifinals:
1. Tigres' valiant effort almost prolongs its season
It's odd to see Tigres give complete performances away from its Estadio Universitario, where its fans do what it takes to make their presence felt in every single match, playoff or non-playoff.
In its last two away displays at Cruz Azul's Estadio Azul and Monterrey's Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Tigres netted five times while only conceding once. It was as if playing away from home relaxed Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti's team to the point of making the team showcase some of their best football in recent weeks.
Last Wednesday, Javier Aquino's crosses into the heart of the box were, for the most part, off-target. On Saturday evening, with the first chance he had to send a cross into the box, his pass was a successful one, hitting Jesus Duenas.
After 10 minutes, Tigres were up 1-0 in front of an Albiazul crowd that didn't enter panic mode as their intense rivals narrowed the gap in the aggregate score.
However the mood inside the stadium changed after the 26th minute when Rafael Sobis scored his second career goal in a Clasico Regio. This time around, Ferretti clapped as he saw that his team was responding in an evening where winning by a considerable amount was the only option to stay alive.
But the joy only lasted 70 minutes. After Juninho saw his second yellow card, Tigres' defiant display crumbled.
As Ferretti lost his cool over Juninho's second card, the team lost it as well. In a matter of seconds, Monterrey's 19-year-old center-back, Cesar Montes, closed out the series with his goal, off a free kick.
Los Auriazules fell short in their attempt to win back-to-back Liga MX championships and will need of the next couple of weeks to decide what's the next step to take.
In the four competitions, in which Tigres participated, it was only able to win the 2015 Apertura title. It finished in second place in the Copa Libertadores and the CONCACAF Champions League and will not even reach the 2016 Clausura semifinals after falling to Monterrey.
The question that will be asked more than once in Monterrey is the following: Will Ferretti remain as Tigres' head coach?
2. Monterrey's dour display was unexpected
Monterrey's offensive display was extremely quiet during the second-leg of the quarterfinal series against Tigres. With the likes of Edwin Cardona, Carlos Sanchez, Rogelio Funes Mori and Dorlan Pabon commanding Monterrey's attack, one would have expected to see them take over the match in front of their fans, but it was hardly the case on Saturday night.
With Rayados' attack being completely shut down by Tigres' defense, it was imperative for Monterrey's defense to be alert. For long passages of the game, however, Monterrey's defense looked out of it, while Tigres' attack dominated every aspect of the game.
On the sideline, head coach "Turco" Mohamed looked disoriented, unable to find the right solutions to counterattack Tigres.
The efficiency in front of goal on Wednesday was not with Monterrey. Early on in the second half, Funes Mori was fouled inside the box and won a penalty for a needy Monterrey side. Pabon stepped up to take the penalty that could have sealed the series, but he missed.
The nightmare continued for Monterrey, a series that appeared to be closed out after the first-leg result was overcomplicated by La Pandilla, who were unable to protect the lead.
Referee Francisco Chacon ruled two penalties in favor of Monterrey; one of them non-existent as he ruled that Tigres' Guido Pizarro had blocked a shot with his arm when in reality he did so with his head, but Monterrey was unable to convert any of its penalties.
Monterrey will head into the semifinals, empowered by its "Fantastic Four" formed by Cardona, Funes Mori, Pabon and Sanchez; however, if it aspires to win another Liga MX title, it will need to improve its home displays.
Rayados' performance on Saturday left very little positives and a lot of negatives, and in the semifinals, those defensive errors could come back to haunt them.
3. The Monterrey Derby surpassed initial expectations
The magnitude of the Monterrey Derby has reached a new dimension after what Tigres and Monterrey offered during their quarterfinal battle. The series left a handful of highlights that only helps make Liga MX into a more internationally renown league.
Unfortunately, in the second-leg there was the glitch by the referee who gave a free penalty to Monterrey.
What is worth noting is that Funes Mori's execution gave the impression of being an act of fair-play because the Argentinean striker looked disinterested when he made contact with the ball as if he wanted to not score a goal off an incorrect decision.
Seven goals were scored in the series, and both teams showed relentless attitudes throughout the 180 minutes of the series. Had Juninho not seen the red-card in the 70th minute, the Monterrey Derby could have gone down to the wire and could have had a movie-like ending.