After starting Liga MX's Clausura season with a draw and then eight straight victories, Cruz Azul have suffered three defeats in six matches, including a 3-1 loss at home to Atlas on Saturday.
The Mexican league high-flyers remain first in the table despite that defeat and should be confident against fellow Liga MX club Tijuana, who sit 10th, ahead of Tuesday's semi-final first leg.
The Mexico City-based club are the most successful side in the competition's history alongside local rivals America, although all five of their titles came in the CONCACAF Champions Cup era.
Argentine striker Mariano Pavone could be critical to Cruz Azul's chances of halting their form slump and advancing past Tijuana in their two-legged semi-final.
But in a bonus for Cruz Azul, the 31-year-old forward did notch a hat-trick in his club's most recent CONCACAF Champions League fixture, as they won 5-2 on aggregate over Sporting Kansas City to earn a semi-final berth.
Tijuana's main threat up front will be Dario Benedetto - another Argentine - who has scored four goals in his team's past five matches, including in their 4-2 aggregate triumph over Los Angeles Galaxy in the quarter-finals.
The Costa Ricans warmed up for Tuesday's clash with a 2-0 win at Santos de Guapiles on Saturday, while Toluca trumped Tigres UANL 2-1.
