Torn apart by Tigres, Tijuana suffers repeat Liga MX heartbreak
As was also the case a year ago, Tijuana relinquished a large first-leg lead as they bowed out of the Apertura 2025 playoffs.
Just when Club Tijuana seemed to be hitting their stride in the Liga MX Apertura 2025 tournament, the ghosts of past heartbreak returned. Despite holding a commanding lead after the first leg of their playoff quarterfinal against Tigres, the Xolos couldn’t close the deal. And, almost exactly a year after their elimination in Apertura 2024, history repeated itself under eerily similar circumstances.
Tijuana endures Tigres mauling
In this year’s Apertura, Tijuana looked dominant at home, cruising to a 3-0 win over Tigres at Estadio Caliente, highlighted by a goal from rising star Gilberto Mora. But the second leg told a completely different story. The Felinos roared back in San Nicolás, overturning the deficit and sealing a 5-3 aggregate victory that sent the Xolos packing.
History repeats itself for Tijuana
A year ago, the script was just as cruel. Tijuana clawed their way into the playoffs via the play-in and faced Cruz Azul in the quarters. Once again, they made the most of home-field advantage, posting a convincing 3–0 win that seemed to put the series in their pocket. But when the tie shifted to La Máquina’s turf, everything unraveled.
Cruz Azul made Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes a fortress, erasing the deficit with three unanswered goals to level the aggregate score. The deadlock was a disaster for Tijuana, whose lower seed meant the tiebreaker favored the Cementeros. Cruz Azul advanced to face América in the semis - where they eventually bowed out - but for Xolos, the sting of collapse lingered.
For Tijuana, the nightmare continues. They gave their fans hope of a semifinal berth, only to see it vanish in Nuevo León. The ghosts of the past still haunt the border club, and once again, they couldn’t exorcise them in San Nicolás de los Garza.
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