Santos Laguna starts with authority and Toluca struggles, but delivers at the start of the 2025 Apertura.

Matchday 1 of the 2025 Liga MX Apertura tournament produced two distinct stories in the north and center of the country. In Torreón , Santos Laguna took advantage of Pumas ' defensive errors to command a commanding 3-0 victory, breaking the university team's 16-tournament unbeaten streak in their first match. In Toluca , the Diablos Rojos began their title defense with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Necaxa , in a match that left doubts about their defensive performance during the second half.

At TSM Corona Stadium , Santos started with a good pace and intensity. From the opening minutes, they showed offensive intent, pressing high and forcing errors. The opening goal came early, in the 14th minute, when Aldo López took advantage of a poor exit by the university students to unleash a shot from mid-range that surprised debutant goalkeeper Rodrigo Parra .

Pumas tried to react, but showed little connection between the lines. The expected partnership between Adalberto Carrasquilla and Eduardo Martínez failed to materialize, and the team was inaccurate in their creative areas. The clearest chance for the visitors came in the 40th minute, with a shot from Bennevendo that forced Carlos Acevedo to make a timely save.

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: Pato O'Ward wins the first race in Iowa and achieves his first victory of the 2025 season

In the second half, Santos again capitalized on an individual error. In the 55th minute, Parra failed to control a ball in the box, and César Sordo took advantage to tap it in for a 2-0 lead. The situation worsened for Pumas , who were already lacking tactical or emotional responses, even losing their assistant coach, Luis Pérez, due to complaints to the referee, while coach Efraín Juárez was coaching from the sidelines due to suspension.

The third and decisive goal came in the 89th minute, following a counterattack that ended with a Cristian Dájome finish. Santos earned three points and left a good impression on their debut, with a well-organized, effective team with a variety of offense.

TOLUCA SUFFERS, BUT COMPLIES

At the Nemesio Diez , Toluca also started with a win, although without the same clarity. The Red Devils were surprised by Necaxa in the 21st minute, when a mistake by Franco Romero allowed Agustín Palavecino to assist Pável Pérez , who scored 0-1 for the Rayos .

Toluca reacted immediately. In the 27th minute, Alexis Vega sent in a precise cross for Marcel Ruiz to head home. Then, in the 41st minute, Ruiz himself initiated a play with a backheel pass inside the box, which Jesús Angulo capitalized on with a left-footed finish to make it 2-1.

In the second half, Necaxa changed the course of the match and took the initiative. Kevin Rosero missed a clear chance in front of goal, and Diber Cambindo even scored a goal that was ruled out for offside. Despite the visitors' dominance, Toluca closed out the match in the 88th minute with a high-speed play that Vega scored to make it 3-1.

The first matchday left Santos Laguna as one of the strongest teams in the opening round, with Toluca holding three points, but with work to do. Pumas , meanwhile, will need to rethink their game plan and regain confidence before the tournament slips away from them in the opening rounds.