Mexico City — May 18, 2025 — Under the bright lights of the Estadio Azteca and in front of a roaring sea of yellow and blue, Club América delivered a stirring comeback to knock out rivals Cruz Azul and book their place in the Liga MX Clausura 2025 final. The 2-1 victory in the second leg of the semifinals leveled the aggregate score at 2-2, but América advanced due to their higher position in the league table.
It was a classic Clásico Joven, and it lived up to the hype from the first whistle to the last.
Cruz Azul Strikes First — and Silences the Azteca
Coming into the match with a narrow 1-0 advantage from the first leg, Cruz Azul wasted no time going for the kill. Just 16 minutes in, Uriel Antuna picked off a defensive error and coolly slotted the ball past Luis Malagón. For a moment, the packed stadium fell into stunned silence.
With a 2-0 lead on aggregate, Cruz Azul looked poised to finally get the better of their historic rivals. But América had other plans.
América Awakens — and Turns the Match on Its Head
After regrouping at halftime, América came out with fire. They upped the tempo, pressed higher, and started to pin Cruz Azul deep. Their persistence paid off in the 54th minute when Julián Quiñones latched onto a cutback inside the box and buried the equalizer.
The roar from the crowd was deafening — the comeback was on.
Twenty minutes later, the moment of magic arrived. Off a corner kick, Henry Martín rose above his marker and powered a header into the net. The 2-1 scoreline sent América fans into euphoria, and more importantly, put them ahead on the away-goals tiebreaker. See More
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