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 Mazatl\u00e1n, respectively, both by a 3-2 scoreline.
There were five away victories, with the most notable being Am\u00e9rica\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liga MX Apertura Matchday 5: Games <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
With a brace from Italian-Brazilian forward Jo\u00e3o Pedro Galv\u00e3o, Atl\u00e9tico 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 Jes\u00fas Rodr\u00edguez fouled Yan Phillipe and the referee awarded a penalty. Jo\u00e3o 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 Gonz\u00e1lez, who replaced Rodr\u00edguez after halftime. Gonz\u00e1lez first made a fine save, but the rebound fell to Galv\u00e3o, 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 \u2018Rojiblancos\u2019 climb to ninth place with six points, while \u2018La Franja\u2019 sinks to 17th with three points. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liga MX Apertura Matchday 5: Guadalajara vs. Ju\u00e1rez <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ju\u00e1rez 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\u2014assisted by VAR\u2014awarded a penalty, \u00d3scar Estupi\u00f1\u00e1n 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 Ju\u00e1rez, who now sit 14th with five points, while Chivas drop to 16th with three. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liga MX Apertura Matchday 5: Cruz Azul vs. Santos <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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 Rodr\u00edguez scored a stunning bicycle kick. Jos\u00e9 Paradela sent him a lofted pass, which Rodr\u00edguez controlled on his chest before firing off the spectacular move to make it 1-0.
At the 32nd minute, a free kick from Jos\u00e9 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 \u2018M\u00e1quina\u2019 regained the lead with a header from Jos\u00e9 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 \u2018Verdiblancos\u2019 found the equalizer right at the start of the second half, in the 47th minute, when Cristi\u00e1n D\u00e1jome finished off a pass from Bruno Amione to make it 2-2.
The \u2018Cementeros\u2019 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 Fern\u00e1ndez, who had just come on a minute earlier, tapped in a pass from \u00c1ngel Sep\u00falveda 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. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liga MX Apertura Matchday 5: Tigres vs. Am\u00e9rica <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In the big match of the weekend, Am\u00e9rica 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 \u2018Felinos\u2019 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 S\u00e1nchez, who nodded it home for 1-1.
S\u00e1nchez struck again in the 58th minute, this time with a low, well-placed shot from the edge of the box to put Am\u00e9rica ahead 1-2.
At the 69th minute, a cutback from Alejandro Zendejas deflected off goalkeeper Nahuel Guzm\u00e1n\u2019s foot and into his own net for an own goal, sealing the 1-3.