A Máquina showed their strength at the Estadio Olímpico Universitário, overwhelming La Fiera with a score of 4-1. The standout of the match was undoubtedly Carlos Rodríguez, who netted two goals (21’ and 41’ of the second half). Other scorers for the hosts included Ángel Sepúlveda (16’ of the second half) and Jeremy Márquez (47’ of the second half). Jesús Orozco scored León’s lone goal, inadvertently putting the ball into his own net in the 32nd minute of the second half.
Before the scoring frenzy, Lorenzo Faravelli came close, striking the woodwork with a powerful shot at the 29th minute of the first half, but luck was not on his side.
Rodríguez’s exceptional performance was a highlight, as he took three shots at goal, showcasing his offensive prowess.
León’s goalkeeper, Óscar García, was also noteworthy, making an impressive 11 saves during the match, keeping his team in the game as long as he could.
Cruz Azul’s head coach, Nicolás Larcamón, executed a well-structured 4-5-1 formation with Kevin Mier guarding the net; a defensive line of Jorge Sánchez, Willer Ditta, Gonzalo Piovi, and Rodolfo Rotondi; a midfield featuring Lorenzo Faravelli, Erik Lira, Luka Romero, Carlos Rodríguez, and José Paradela; with Ángel Sepúlveda leading the attack.
León, managed by Eduardo Berizzo, lined up in a similar 4-5-1 configuration, with Óscar García in goal; a backline of Sebastián Santos, Stiven Barreiro, Adonis Frías, and Salvador Reyes; a midfield made up of Rodrigo Echeverría, Iván Moreno, James Rodríguez, Fernando Beltrán, and Ángel Estrada; while Ettson Ayón was the forward.
The match referee, Daniel Quintero Huitrón, officiated the game.
Looking ahead, Cruz Azul will face Atl. de San Luis in their next fixture, while León will host CF Monterrey.
After the conclusion of the match, Cruz Azul now sits with 5 points in fourth place on the league table, whereas León occupies the sixteenth spot with only 3 points.
Substitutions for Cruz Azul
63’ 2T – Luka Romero was replaced by Ignacio Rivero
72’ 2T – Lorenzo Faravelli made way for Jesús Orozco
80’ 2T – Ángel Sepúlveda and José Paradela were substituted for Mateo Levy and Jeremy Márquez, respectively.
81’ 2T – Rodolfo Rotondi came off for Omar Campos
Cautions for Cruz Azul:
33’ 1T – Carlos Rodríguez (Unsporting behavior)
Substitutions for León
69’ 2T – Ettson Ayón was replaced by Rogelio Funes Mori, and Ángel Estrada by Emilio Rodríguez
Cautions for León:
6’ 2T – Ettson Ayón (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement)