Monterrey secured a solid victory on Wednesday, defeating América 2-0 in the first leg of their Liga MX quarterfinal matchup during the Apertura tournament. The standout performance came from Sergio Canales, who scored a spectacular goal and provided an assist, further solidifying his impact in the league.
Canales opened the scoring with a superb left-footed shot from outside the area, finding the back of the net in the third minute of stoppage time before halftime after a deflection off defender Israel Reyes. The Spaniard’s goal was notable as it marked his 43rd in Mexico and the fourth scored against América.
The lead was doubled in the second half when Fidel Ambriz capitalized on a corner kick taken by Canales, scoring with a header in the 70th minute. The ball was slightly deflected by Chilean defender Igor Lichnovsky, adding an extra layer of difficulty for América’s defense.
Monterrey could have extended their lead even further, but French forward Anthony Martial missed a chance late in the game, hitting the base of the post after receiving a cross inside the area. América managed only one shot on target, which came during injury time from Alejandro Zendejas, but was thwarted by Monterrey’s goalkeeper, Luis Cárdenas.
Looking ahead to the return leg scheduled for Saturday at the Estadio de la Ciudad de los Deportes, América will need to win by a two-goal margin to advance, benefitting from their better regular-season position in case of a tiebreaker.
In another match, the defending champions Toluca pulled off a comeback to defeat Ciudad Juárez 2-1. After falling behind early with a header from Jesús Murillo, Toluca responded in the second half with goals from Antonio Briseño and Paulinho. This puts Toluca in a strong position ahead of their return fixture.
In a thrilling conclusion to the matchday, Tijuana also triumphed with a 3-0 win over Tigres, with key contributions from Kevin Castañeda, Mourad El Ghezouani, and young star Gilberto Mora, whose goal sealed the convincing victory.
This quarterfinal round promises more excitement as teams vie for a spot in the semifinals, with each side looking to capitalize on the critical moments that could determine their fate in the playoffs.