Last Updated on August 18, 2025 12:04 pm by Erwin Noguera
Matchday 5 of the Liga MX Apertura brought several surprises and turned out to be quite a favorable weekend for visiting teams.
The only two home sides to win were Cruz Azul and Monterrey, who edged Santos and Mazatlán, respectively, both by a 3-2 scoreline.
There were five away victories, with the most notable being América’s 1-3 comeback win over Tigres after initially falling behind.
Meanwhile, league leaders Pachuca lost their unbeaten run, falling 0-2 at home to Tijuana, who played the final half-hour with a man down after a red card.
Liga MX Apertura Matchday 5: Games
Puebla 0-2 San Luis |
Necaxa 0-1 León |
Guadalajara 1-2 Juárez |
Cruz Azul 3-2 Santos |
Pachuca 0-2 Tijuana |
Tigres 1-3 América |
Toluca 1-1 Pumas |
Querétaro 3-3 Atlas |
Monterrey 3-2 Mazatlán |
Liga MX Apertura Matchday 5: Puebla vs. San Luis
Puebla +155 | San Luis +173 | Draw Offs: +226 |
With a brace from Italian-Brazilian forward João Pedro Galvão, Atlético San Luis defeated Puebla 0-2 on the road and moved into Play-In position.
The opener came on the final play of the first half, after goalkeeper Jesús Rodríguez fouled Yan Phillipe and the referee awarded a penalty. João Pedro made no mistake and converted it into a goal.
In the second half, the striker struck again. He had already seen two big chances denied by an outstanding Julio González, who replaced Rodríguez after halftime. González first made a fine save, but the rebound fell to Galvão, who attempted a cross. The ball stayed loose, and a shot from Phillipe was deflected, leaving the 33-year-old forward with the rebound, which he struck first-time to score his fourth goal in five league matches and sixth in seven games since arriving in Mexican football.
With this result, the ‘Rojiblancos’ climb to ninth place with six points, while ‘La Franja’ sinks to 17th with three points.
Liga MX Apertura Matchday 5: Guadalajara vs. Juárez
Guadalajara -154 | Juárez +425 | Draw Offs: +238 |
Juárez earned their first victory of the tournament and climbed out of the bottom after defeating Guadalajara 1-2 on the road.
Chivas were the ones pushing forward, but in the 41st minute, after the referee—assisted by VAR—awarded a penalty, Óscar Estupiñán converted to give the Bravos a 0-1 lead.
In the second half, a fine play by Jairo Torres, who carried the ball from midfield, ended with a low cross-shot from the midfielder to make it 0-2.
At the 84th minute, the home side pulled one back through 18-year-old Santiago Sandoval, who tapped in after a rebound from the goalkeeper, scoring his first goal in the top division.
Guadalajara kept trying, and just two minutes later, Sandoval himself missed a clear chance, while in the final play, the post denied them the equalizer. It finished 2-1 for Juárez, who now sit 14th with five points, while Chivas drop to 16th with three.
Liga MX Apertura Matchday 5: Cruz Azul vs. Santos
Cruz Azul -303 | Santos +815 | Draw Offs:+400 |
In a thrilling match, Santos nearly pulled off a huge upset, but in the end, Cruz Azul secured a 3-2 home victory with a late goal.
It was a back-and-forth battle, with action on both ends. The hosts struck first in the 16th minute when Carlos Rodríguez scored a stunning bicycle kick. José Paradela sent him a lofted pass, which Rodríguez controlled on his chest before firing off the spectacular move to make it 1-0.
At the 32nd minute, a free kick from José Abella found the head of Bruno Barticciotto to level things at 1-1. However, the joy was short-lived, as just one play later the ‘Máquina’ regained the lead with a header from José Rivero after a cross from Gonzalo Piovi on the left.
Things got worse for Santos in the 40th minute when Ramiro Sordo was sent off for a harsh foul on Rivero.
Despite being a man down, the ‘Verdiblancos’ found the equalizer right at the start of the second half, in the 47th minute, when Cristián Dájome finished off a pass from Bruno Amione to make it 2-2.
The ‘Cementeros’ kept pressing from all angles in search of the win, but the posts, goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo, and poor finishing denied them. Finally, in the 82nd minute, Gabriel Fernández, who had just come on a minute earlier, tapped in a pass from Ángel Sepúlveda for the 3-2. The goal was initially ruled out for possible offside, but VAR confirmed he was just onside by the slimmest of margins.
In the end, the victory went to the team that pushed hardest. Cruz Azul finished with 33 shots, 10 of them on target and two against the post. They now sit third with 11 points, still unbeaten and just one point behind the leaders, while Santos drops to eighth with six.
Liga MX Apertura Matchday 5: Tigres vs. América
Tigres +145 | América +184 | Draw Offs: +232 |
In the big match of the weekend, América silenced the Estadio Universitario with a 1-3 win over Tigres, ending their unbeaten run and their chance to go top of the table.
The ‘Felinos’ fed off their home crowd and struck early, just six minutes in, when a cutback from Diego Lainez was first-timed into the net by Juan Brunetta to make it 1-0.
The equalizer came late in the first half, in the 41st minute, when a cross was headed first by Cristian Borja and then by Erick Sánchez, who nodded it home for 1-1.
Sánchez struck again in the 58th minute, this time with a low, well-placed shot from the edge of the box to put América ahead 1-2.
At the 69th minute, a cutback from Alejandro Zendejas deflected off goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán’s foot and into his own net for an own goal, sealing the 1-3.
Tigres had a couple of chances through Ángel Correa, but Luis Malagón made excellent saves to secure the three points for América. With the win, they reached 11 points and climbed to fourth place in the Liga MX standings, while Monterrey’s side stayed on nine points, dropping to sixth, though with a game in hand.