Cruz Azul takes the lead in the first leg of the quarterfinals; they beat León 3-2.

▲ Sebastián Santos, a player from La Fiera, scored his team's first goal. Photo by AFP

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, May 9, 2025, p. a31

Cruz Azul got off to a good start in the Clausura 2025 playoffs after beating León 3-2 in the first leg of the quarterfinals, played yesterday at the Nou Camp stadium in León, Guanajuato.

The Sky Blues opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Ignacio Rivero took advantage of goalkeeper Óscar Jiménez's loose ball in the box after saving his initial shot, to counterattack and make it 1-0.

While La Máquina fans were still celebrating the goal, Andrés Montaño surprised with a left-footed shot to extend the lead (2-0) in the 19th minute.

The Emeralds, who were without their star player James Rodriguez, reduced the deficit in the 29th minute after Andrés Guardado sent a cross into the box that was connected by Sebastián Santos to make it 2-1.

In the 41st minute, Montaño again invaded the opposing goal with a powerful cross shot, giving Cruz Azul a comfortable 3-1 lead at halftime.

The Panzas Verdes made it 3-2 in the second half thanks to a goal from Iván Moreno in the 46th minute; however, things got complicated in the 51st minute when Adonis Frías was sent off for a foul in the box. Although they created danger throughout the rest of the match, they were unable to salvage a draw.

On the other hand, it was reported that a León fan suffered a burn on his arm from the fireworks used to welcome the team.