Liga MX Apertura Matchday 1 Roundup

Last Updated on July 15, 2025 10:45 am by Erwin Noguera

Matchday 1 of the Liga MX Apertura 2025 Tournament kicked off with great emotions, marking the return of Mexican soccer with intensity, goals, and surprises.

The teams went all out from the first whistle, making it clear that this new campaign promises to be very competitive. The fans responded with enthusiasm in the stands and in front of the screens, while the clubs showed their new faces and renewed ambitions.

Toluca, the reigning Mexican soccer champions, got off on the right foot in their title defense with an authoritative 3-1 win over Necaxa. The Diablos Rojos showed solidity, good team play, and attacking forcefulness, confirming that they want to return to the top of the table. Meanwhile, América and Juárez played out an even match at the Benito Juárez Stadium, which ended in a 1-1 draw, leaving mixed feelings on both sides.

Other teams that got off to a spectacular start were Pachuca and Santos Laguna, who thrashed Monterrey and Pumas 3-0, respectively. Both teams looked dominant, with very effective offensive play and well-organized defensive lines. Their resounding victories make them candidates to be closely followed in the coming matchdays.

Liga MX Apertura 2025 Roundup – Games

Liga MX Apertura 2025 Matchday 1 Roundup: Juárez vs. América

Club América began its journey in the Apertura 2025 with mixed feelings. It looked like they would have a promising start after taking the lead at the border, but their own mistakes ultimately cost them dearly. The expulsion of Erick Sánchez changed the course of the match, allowing Juárez to react and rescue a 1-1 draw. This was compounded by a worrying injury to Álvaro Fidalgo, leaving the Águilas with more doubts than certainties after his debut.

Coach André Jardine surprised with an unusual lineup: he left Fidalgo on the bench and opted for a line of five defenders, with Borja at center back, while Orquín and Dagoberto occupied the flanks. In this new tactical proposal, Zendejas and Brian Rodríguez were in charge on the flanks, while Rodrigo Aguirre was placed as a reference in attack.

During the first half, Juárez had more possession but lacked clarity in front of the goal. América took advantage of an opponent’s mistake in midfield to open the scoring: Brian Rodríguez filtered a precise pass and Zendejas coolly finished in front of Jurado at minute 39. Sánchez was sent off for a hard tackle on Madson, leaving the Azulcremas with a numerical disadvantage.

The equalizer came with a header by Pizarro after a cross from Ricardinho, just before Fidalgo went off injured. The debut of reinforcements Alexis and Violante went unnoticed in a match that left more worries than certainties for the Coapa team, although a long tournament lies ahead.

Result: Juárez 1-1 América

Liga MX Apertura 2025 Matchday 1 Roundup: Toluca vs. Necaxa

Toluca began the defense of its Apertura 2025 title on the right foot with a solid 3-1 victory over Necaxa at the Estadio Nemesio Diez.

Although they struggled at times, Antonio Mohamed’s men were able to react and become strong at home. The reigning champions did not skimp from the start; they repeated the same lineup that brought them glory weeks ago and made it clear that their objective is to win the championship twice.

Los Rayos surprised by opening the scoring at minute 20 thanks to a high pressure that caused a mistake in Toluca’s start. Palavecino recovered the ball and set up Pável Pérez, who scored unchallenged. However, the Diablos were quick to respond.

At 26′, Marcel Ruiz equalized with a header after a cross from Alexis Vega. Shortly before halftime, Ruiz stood out once again, this time with a superb back-heeled assist for Jesús Angulo to make it 2-1 with a cross-shot.

In the second half, Toluca maintained control of the match, although they had some ups and downs in both defense and attack. Angulo missed a clear opportunity in front of the goal, and Necaxa came close to an equalizer on a couple of occasions, but Luis García was the star in goal.

Mohamed adjusted his scheme by making changes from the bench, and it was precisely one of those replacements, Helinho, who sealed the match at 88′ with a cross-shot goal in his first contact with the ball. Thus, Toluca made it clear that it does not intend to let go of the crown easily.

Result: Toluca 3–1 Necaxa

Liga MX Apertura 2025 Matchday 1 Roundup: Cruz Azul vs. Mazatlán

Nicolás Larcamón’s debut as coach of Cruz Azul was not the dream, as his team was held to a goalless draw by Mazatlán on the first matchday of the Liga MX Apertura 2025.

In a match played at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, La Maquina showed initiative but lacked a convincing performance in front of the goal. Despite controlling the ball for several stretches of the match, they were unable to score.

The match also marked the debut of Robert Dante Siboldi at the helm of Mazatlán, a team that opted for a defensive approach, waiting for the opponent to make a mistake. Cruz Azul tried to propose from the start, with approaches from Ignacio Rivero, Santi Giménez, and Bogusz, although without aiming.

On the Cañoneros side, goalkeeper Ricardo Gutiérrez was decisive in keeping a clean sheet, and the only goal they managed to score was disallowed for offside after VAR intervention, in a play by Nico Benedetti at minute 77.

From the bench, the Argentinian coach was energetic, looking for solutions that never came. Thus, Cruz Azul dropped points in their presentation, leaving a task pending for the visit to Atlas on matchday 2, where Márquez will be reunited with his former team. Mazatlán, meanwhile, will host Puebla at home.

Result: Cruz Azul 0–0 Mazatlán

Liga MX Apertura 2025 Matchday 1 Roundup: Pachuca vs. Monterrey

Pachuca kicked off the Apertura 2025 with a brilliant and convincing performance, beating Monterrey 3-0 on the Liga MX Matchday 1, surprising both their fans and their own and strangers alike.

With goals from Jhonder Cádiz, Alexei Domínguez, and Elías Montiel, the Tuzos successfully kicked off the Jaime Lozano era on the bench, leaving a pleasant impression in their debut in front of their fans at the Hidalgo Stadium.

In an even first half, both teams, who recently participated in the Club World Cup, tried to impose their style. Monterrey had more possession and generated some chances, but were unable to translate their dominance into goals.

Everything changed in the second half when Pachuca found its best version. In the 50th minute, Jhonder Cádiz broke the deadlock after a great assist from Alan Bautista.. Five minutes later, Cádiz himself assisted with an elegant rabona to Alexei Domínguez, who made no mistake in front of the goal to make it 2-0.

With Monterrey disoriented and without a clear response, the Tuzos took advantage of the moment to seal the victory. At 68′, Víctor “Pocho” Guzmán filtered a precise pass that Elías Montiel, one of the club’s youth gems, transformed into the third goal with a great finish.

With this win, Pachuca will be looking to keep up the good momentum when they visit Pumas next week. Rayados, meanwhile, will have to recover quickly before facing Atlético de San Luis on the road.

Result: Pachuca 3–0 Monterrey