Club América Secures 2-1 Victory Over Monterrey in Liga MX Final First Leg

Alejandro Zendejas' decisive goal positions América for a potential historic third consecutive championship in the short-season era.

Club América defeated Monterrey 2-1 in the first leg of the Liga MX Apertura final, played at Estadio Cuauhtémoc due to renovations at Estadio Azteca.
Monterrey's Sergio Canales opened the scoring in the 35th minute, but América's Kevin Álvarez equalized just four minutes later with a rebound goal.
Alejandro Zendejas scored the game-winning goal in the 49th minute following an incisive pass from Álvaro Fidalgo, giving América a narrow advantage heading into the second leg.
Injuries impacted Monterrey, with Lucas Ocampos exiting in the 4th minute and Canales being substituted in the 65th minute, hindering their second-half momentum.
A win or draw in Sunday's second leg would make América the first team in Liga MX's short-season era to win three consecutive titles, extending their record to 16 championships.