November 28, 2024

América defeated Toluca 2-0 in the first leg of the Apertura 2024 quarterfinals, with a brace from Rodrigo Aguirre. Despite the advantage, Toluca can still advance if they equalize the aggregate score.  The Apertura 2024 tournament’s playoff began with a thrilling match between two of the top five clubs in Mexican football: América and Toluca. The home team dominated and secured a 2-0 victory, moving them one step closer to the semifinals of Liga MX.  Here’s how América defeated Toluca In the first half, América controlled the game, making Tiago Volpi, Toluca’s goalkeeper, the standout figure after several crucial saves. Despite creating several chances, the home team was unable to score until the 28th minute, when a goal was ruled out for offside, leaving the score 0-0 at halftime.  In the second half, América continued to dominate, with Rodrigo Aguirre converting their chances. First, he scored a header in the 66th minute, and then in the 82nd minute, he netted his second goal of the match, securing the victory for the “Águilas.”  Also interested: What about the top seed? Cruz Azul was thrashed by Xolos in the first leg of the Liga MX quarterfinals With this result, América heads into the second leg with an advantage, but Toluca still has the chance to come back, needing only to equalize the aggregate score to advance, thanks to their position in the standings. This is not out of the question, as in the regular season, Toluca defeated the “Águilas” 4-0 at Estadio Nemesio Díez.

After five Champions League matchdays, Liverpool leads with a perfect record, followed by Inter, Barcelona, and Dortmund. In contrast, major teams like Manchester City, Juventus, Real Madrid, and PSG are facing significant drops in the standings. Another round of UEFA Champions League action has come to an end, bringing notable shifts in the overall competition standings. After five matchdays, Liverpool’s flawless run stands out, along with Inter’s consistency and the repositioning of Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen among the top spots. Meanwhile, teams like Manchester City, Juventus, and Real Madrid suffered setbacks.     The Top of the Table The top eight teams, which secure direct qualification to the Round of 16, include the aforementioned super-leader Liverpool. Behind them is the tournament’s other undefeated team, Inter, with 13 points. Barcelona and Dortmund are in third and fourth places with 12 points each. In fifth place, the surprise of the season, Atalanta, holds 11 points. Completing these spots, Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal, and Monaco occupy sixth, seventh, and eighth places respectively, each with 10 points.     Teams Reclaiming Momentum In the middle of the standings, within the 16 playoff-qualifying positions, are clubs that have begun to pick up points and now pose a threat to the leaders. Bayern Munich sits in 13th place with 9 points, just behind Aston Villa, Sporting Lisbon, Stade Brestois, and LOSC Lille, all of whom have 10 points.     Other teams regaining their footing include Atlético Madrid and AC Milan, who are in 15th and 16th places respectively. You may be interested in: https://titansports.mx/liverpool-easily-beat-real-madrid-to-remain-leaders-in-the-champions-league/ Struggling Giants This new Champions League format has, so far, resulted in the decline of four major clubs. Manchester City has recorded a loss and a draw in their last two games, along with another draw in their opening match, leaving them in 17th place with 8 points. Further back, Juventus occupies 19th place, also with 8 points, but with a worse goal difference than City and PSV, having managed two draws and a loss in their last three matches.     Lower down are the real surprises. In the last spot for playoff contention, 24th place, is Real Madrid, with only 4 points after three losses and a draw in their last four games. Below them, in 25th place and out of contention for the next round, is PSG, who also have just 4 points but with a -3 goal difference. Cover photo: (@Inter)

Barcelona’s 17-year-old Lamine Yamal continues to win awards in his early days as a soccer star. Now, after winning the Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the Spaniard has been awarded the Golden Boy 2024, a prize given by the Italian media Tuttosports to the best U-21 player. This award closes Yamal’s incredible year, who in addition to the two individual awards mentioned above, was crowned at the European Championship with Spain. Lamine joins Lionel Messi in 2005, Pedri in 2021 and Gavi in 2022 as the Blaugrana players who have been decorated with this award. You may be interested in: De promesa a realidad: El ascenso de Lamine Yamal Cover photo: X (@FCBarcelona).