Cruz Azul Crushes León for First Victory of Apertura 2025
What a night it was for Cruz Azul fans! After two frustrating draws to start the Apertura 2025, La Máquina finally roared to life — and in style — securing a dominant 4-1 victory over León at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario. It was a game full of drama, redemption, and even a bit of magic from players like Carlos “Charly” Rodríguez and newcomer Jeremy Márquez.
To be honest, the first half didn’t exactly scream “goal fest.” Both teams came out cautious, feeling each other out and missing key chances. Cruz Azul, under pressure from fans and media, knew this third match was do-or-die territory. José Paradela nearly opened the scoring with a powerful shot off the post, and Rodríguez attempted an ambitious bicycle kick, but the first 45 ended scoreless.
Then came the second half — and the floodgates opened.
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Ángel Sepúlveda, who’s been dubbed “the angel of goals,” broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute. After a perfectly timed cross from Paradela, Sepúlveda controlled the ball with his chest and pulled off a stunning bicycle kick to give Cruz Azul the 1-0 lead. That moment changed the entire rhythm of the game.
Just minutes later, Cruz Azul struck again. This time, it was Charly Rodríguez who took a chance from distance. What looked like a routine shot turned into a nightmare for León’s goalkeeper Óscar García, who fumbled the ball into his own net. That mistake handed Cruz Azul a 2-0 cushion.
León, to their credit, tried to push back. James Rodríguez delivered a dangerous cross in the 78th minute that ended in an unfortunate own goal by Jesús Orozco, giving La Fiera some hope at 2-1.
But any momentum León had was quickly extinguished. Charly Rodríguez wasn’t done yet. In the 87th minute, he pounced on a rebound after a Piovi strike, tucking away his second of the night to make it 3-1.
Then, to cap it all off, Jeremy Márquez made his debut for Cruz Azul one to remember. In stoppage time, he picked up a pass from Piovi and fired from outside the box, curling in a beauty for the fourth and final goal. León’s defense could only watch.
With this win, Cruz Azul not only earned their first three points of the tournament, but also sent a message to the rest of Liga MX: they're still contenders. La Máquina’s engine might have taken a couple games to start, but it looks like it’s finally firing on all cylinders.
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