Monterrey did their job and took the first step toward the 2025 Apertura semifinals in Liga MX. The Rayados defeated Club America 2-0 in an exciting match that sets up an even more intriguing second leg.

Sergio Canales opened the scoring with a terrific strike from outside the box that left Luis Malagon with no chance. In the second half, Fidel Ambriz’s header deflected off Igor Lichnovsky for an unfortunate own goal by America’s defender, extending Monterrey’s lead.

While a 2-0 score may seem comfortable for Rayados, they cannot afford to feel overconfident. America only need to win by two goals in the second leg, as a tied aggregate would send the Azulcremas to the semifinals thanks to their higher finish in the regular-season standings.

See Full Page