Club América continued their impressive form with a 2-1 victory over Puebla on February 7, 2025, at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc, successfully marking their fourth consecutive win in the Liga MX Clausura 2025 season.
From the outset, América, managed by André Jardine, looked to assert dominance over Puebla, who came fresh off their own recent victory against Santos Laguna. The initial moments of the match displayed some back-and-forth action; both teams seemed to settle as they calculated their chances. Yet, it was Álex Zendejas who broke the deadlock. At the 12-minute mark, as soon as Brian Rodríguez struck the post, Zendejas was there to capitalize on the rebound, scoring with his left foot from inside the box, putting America up 1-0.
Following the opening goal, Puebla attempted to push back and find their footing. A controversial moment arose at the 18th minute when Dagoberto Espinoza of América seemed culpable of handling the ball inside his own area, yet the referee opted not to award the penalty. Instead, the match took another decisive turn after Puebla's Brayan Angulo was sent off following VAR review for a handball infringement just before América doubled their lead.
At 37 minutes, América's Henry Martín, already one of the league's top scorers, found the net from close range, sealing the scoreline to 2-0 with just minutes to spare before halftime. Martín's goal marked his 100th career goal in Liga MX, catapulting him to top-five status among América's all-time leading scorers. What a milestone!
After the break, América adopted a more relaxed approach, allowing Puebla some possession of the ball as they searched desperately for opportunities. Puebla managed to mount pressure and generated success when they scored their first goal of the match through Ricardo Marín at the 73rd minute. Following sustained attacks, Marín struck from close range after getting on the end of Jesús Rivas’s cross, reducing the deficit to 2-1.
With confidence soaring after scoring, Puebla pushed for an equalizer, bombarding América with crosses and attempting to capitalize on any defensive lapses. Nevertheless, América's defense held strong against the late onslaught. Despite losing momentum, they effectively thwarted all final attempts from Puebla to claw back, eventually securing the important three points and maintaining their push for the league title.
This victory propelled Club América to solidify their standing as one of the league's top contenders, resulting in 13 points from six matches played, securing second place overall. Meanwhile, Puebla's inconsistent performance kept them languishing mid-table, now sitting with only five points and reflected their struggle to break out of disappointing form early this season.
Overall, this match not only reiterated América's potent offensive capability but also brought attention to Martín's monumental achievement. With both teams focused on improving their standings as the season progresses, fans can expect more excitement as the Liga MX continues.