Liga MX Clausura: Toluca play host to Tigres | OneFootball

Matchday five presented itself this weekend of the Liga MX Clausura with three teams aiming to maintain their unbeaten record.

América hosted Juárez in the capital, while Cruz Azul made the trip in the opposite direction to face Tijuana. Meanwhile, León, riding a perfect start with three straight wins, travelled to Sinaloa for a showdown with Mazatlán. Over in Guadalajara, Chivas looked to snap a three-game winless run as they welcomed Querétaro.

The match of the week took place in the State of Mexico, where Toluca and Tigres—two of the top sides from the Apertura—squared off, each looking to make a statement in the Clausura.

Friday 31st January 2025

Mazatlán 1-2 León Tijuana 2-3 Cruz Azul

León came flying out of the blocks, racing to a two-goal lead within the first nine minutes as Emiliano Rigoni sent the goalkeeper the wrong way before Ettson Ayón poked home a second. The visitors chose to rest their marquee signing, James Rodríguez, even as Nicolás Benedetti pulled one back for Mazatlán. Tempers flared as both sides were reduced to ten men—Facundo Almada saw red late in the first half, while Carlos Cisneros followed just four minutes after coming on for León. Despite the chaos, Los Esmeraldas held firm to secure their fourth straight win to start the season.

Cruz Azul and Tijuana served up a five-goal thriller, with Luka Romero opening his account since arriving from AC Milan. La Máquina came out firing, racing into a three-goal lead thanks to strikes from Romero, Giorgos Giakoumakis, and Rodolfo Rotondi. But Los Xolos were not done yet, pulling two goals back to set up a fiery final 20 minutes in a match that had everything.

Saturday 1st February 2025

Club América 4-0 FC JuárezChivas 1-1 QuerétaroPachuca 0-0 Atlas Monterrey 1-0 Necaxa Toluca 1-0 Tigres

Club América sent a clear message in their hunt for a fourth consecutive Liga MX title with a dominant win over Juárez. Víctor Dávila struck first, netting his fourth goal in three games before Érick Sánchez doubled the lead. In the second half, Las Águilas put on a show, with Brian Rodríguez bagging a brace to seal an emphatic victory.

Chivas’ wait for a league win since matchday one goes on, as they were held to a draw by Querétaro. With manager Óscar García serving the first of his three-match suspension after his red card against León, his side still managed to strike first through Jonathan Padilla. However, they couldn’t hold on, as Aldahir Pérez equalised just past the hour mark. The result leaves both teams stuck outside the Liguilla spots, each with just one win from five matches.

Chivas v Queretaro - Torneo Clausura 2025 Liga MX | Simon Barber/GettyImages

Atlas recorded a second straight goalless draw, bringing an end to Pachuca's 100% record.

Los Rayados finally got their season up and running, thanks to a thunderous strike from Fidel Ambriz—the only goal of the match. The result eases some of the pressure on Martín Demichelis, whose side had been winless in their first four games, still reeling from the sting of their Apertura final defeat.

Toluca and Tigres clashed in the weekend’s standout fixture, both looking to build on their Apertura Liguilla campaigns. Among the spectators was Pau López, the former Girona goalkeeper, who confirmed his move to Toluca fresh off his final UEFA Champions League appearance against AC Milan. On the pitch, the match seemed destined for a goalless draw—until the dying moments. In stoppage time, Marcel Ruiz floated a perfect cross into the box, finding Paulinho, who guided his header home to snatch a last-gasp victory for Antonio Mohamed’s side in the most dramatic fashion.

Sunday 2nd February 2025

Santos Laguna’s winless run dragged on as manager Fernando Ortiz remained in search of his first points since taking charge. The visitors piled on the misery, with Luis Quiñones firing Puebla ahead before Pablo González doubled the advantage. While Puebla had managed draws against Monterrey and Cruz Azul, this marked their first victory under the Pablo Guede era.

Pumas headed into the break with a two-goal cushion, thanks to an Ignacio Pussetto brace, but San Luis refused to go down quietly. Juan Sanabria struck to level the score for a second time, giving the hosts hope of snatching all three points. However, it was the visitors who had the final say, as Jorge Ruvalcaba marked his return from international duty in South America with a decisive winner to seal the victory for Pumas.