Apertura MX 2024 Matchday 15 Roundup

Día de los Muertos weekend in Mexico, and Liga MX held its matchday 15, bringing Cruz Azul closer to breaking the points record.

The Máquina had no trouble against Santos, one of the league’s worst teams, while América regained its form and crushed Mazatlán to move closer to direct playoff positions.

With two rounds remaining, only three teams are left competing for two spots.

Matchday 15 Results

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Apertura MX 2024 Matchday 15: Mazatlán 0-5 América

América achieved a much-needed victory, as beyond the three points, they crushed their opponent, boosting morale for the tournament’s final stretch. It was a resounding 0-5 win on their visit to Mazatlán.

The first half was decisive, with the Águilas securing the game in their favor. In the 25th minute, a great pass from Brian Rodríguez to his compatriot Rodrigo Aguirre set up the play. The Buffalo fought for the ball, evaded the goalkeeper, and passed it to Henry Martin, who finished it off for 0-1.

Three minutes later, a brilliant team play ended with Rodríguez passing to Alejandro Zendejas, who let the ball go through his legs, allowing Aguirre to slot it to the side with finesse for 0-2.

The 0-3 arrived in the 35th minute, when Zendejas headed and shot in the same play, and as the ball reached the line, Rodríguez tapped it in to get on the scoreboard.

Before the first half ended, the fourth goal came with a left-side cross from Cristian Borja, which Martin redirected with a simple touch, making it 0-4.

In the second half, at 78 minutes, Diego Valdés sent a great pass to Israel Reyes, who struck it first time to seal the 0-5 final score.

America has now 24 points, one less than Pumas that is with the last direct spot to the playoffs. Mazatlán is 15° with only 13 units and already eliminated.

Apertura MX 2024 Matchday 15: Tijuana 0-3 Tigres

Tigres took a huge step this weekend by defeating Tijuana 0-3 away, complicating the latter’s chances of a direct playoff entry.

The scoreboard opened in the 34th minute with an Argentine connection after a corner kick from Juan Brunetta found Nicolás Ibáñez’s head for the 0-1.

In the second half, Brunetta took the shot himself following a great play by Diego Sánchez, with a bit of luck on their side as well.

Near the end of the match, Diego Lainez assisted Marcelo Flores, who had time to control the ball in the goal area, adjust, and score the final 0-3.

The Felinos are third with 30 points and would need a miracle not to qualify for the next phase, while the Xolos are in seventh place with 25 units and will fight until the last matchday for their direct entry.

Apertura MX 2024 Matchday 15: Toluca 2-2 León

Toluca was caught off guard by León but managed to salvage a point thanks to Paulinho’s brace in an exciting match that ended 2-2.

Both sides had plenty of chances, controversies, disallowed goals, and shots hitting the posts… It was a truly thrilling game, and the draw was a fair result.

The Fiera struck first, and after an offside goal was called back, Steven Mendoza scored in the 15th minute with a shot from outside the area following a defensive clearance by the home team.

In the second half, at the 57th minute, Salvador Reyes followed his instincts, sent a cutback cross, and found José Alvarado who was coming in and scored first-touch for the shocking 0-2 at the Nemesio Diez Stadium.

However, three minutes later, a corner kick from Alexis Vega found Paulinho’s head, cutting the lead.

In the final minutes, in the 87th, despite being a man down after Bruno Méndez’s red card, Paulinho scored again with a header. This time, he benefited from a mistake by goalkeeper Alfonso Blanco, who let the ball slip between his legs, sealing the 2-2 result. The Portuguese player now leads the tournament scoring chart with 12 goals.

The Diablos Rojos reached 32 points, securing direct qualification to the playoffs, while Club León sits 11th with 17 points, three behind Atlas, which currently holds the last play-in spot.

Apertura MX 2024 Matchday 15: Cruz Azul 2-0 Santos

The unstoppable Cruz Azul continues to prove they are the best team in the Liga MX, edging closer to the points record. This time, they defeated Santos 2-0 and now have 40 points.

The first goal came in the 23rd minute from Jorge Sánchez, following a great cross from the left by Carlos Rotondi. It was Sánchez’s first goal for the Máquina, and he scored it in his return after suspension.

The 2-0 was scored by Ángel Sepúlveda in the 68th minute, finishing first-touch on a pass from the right by Luis Romo. This was the striker’s eighth goal, making him the team’s top scorer and placing him second in the Liga MX scoring charts.

With this victory and two games left to play, Cruz Azul is now just one point shy of the points record since the tournament has 18 teams, and three points from the record when there were 20 clubs. Meanwhile, Santos lost again after two draws.