The second week of the Liga MX Apertura 2025 tournament kicked off with two exciting matches played midweek. These early games were scheduled ahead of this Sunday’s Champion of Champions clash between América and Toluca in Carson, California.
América took on Tijuana at home after drawing with Juárez in the season opener. This time, they came out stronger and earned their first victory of the campaign.
Bryan Rodríguez opened the scoring for América with a penalty in the 35th minute. Tijuana hit back early in the second half when Ramiro Árciga found the net in the 56th minute to level the game.
Soon after, play was stopped for nearly 30 minutes due to a lightning storm. Once the match resumed, América quickly regained the lead with a goal from Rodrigo Aguirre, also in the 56th minute.
Tijuana pushed forward in the final minutes looking for another equalizer. However, América sealed the result in stoppage time when Rodríguez scored again in the 91st minute. That goal secured a 3-1 win and gave América a confidence boost ahead of their upcoming title match.
In the other midweek clash, Toluca continued their strong form with a 4-2 away win against Santos Laguna. Even without several key starters, they managed to dominate the game under coach Antonio Mohamed, who rested players ahead of the Sunday final.
Santos took an early lead with goals from Ramiro Sordo in the 14th minute and Alberto Ocejo in the 27th. But Toluca responded with skill and precision.
Helinho scored twice, once just before halftime in the 43rd minute and again shortly after the break in the 48th. His efforts tied the match and shifted momentum to the visitors.
Robert Morales then stepped up, scoring Toluca’s third in the 63rd minute. He later added a fourth goal in stoppage time (90+5), putting the game beyond reach for Santos.
With this result, Toluca collected their second win of the season and showed they remain a top contender in the Liga MX Apertura 2025.
Both América and Toluca now turn their focus to the Champion of Champions showdown in the U.S. Their recent victories will likely boost morale and provide tactical clarity heading into the high-stakes clash.
