When was the last time Cruz Azul beat América in the Liga MX?

Martín Anselmi’s Cruz Azul has the team’s fans dreaming of winning the Liga MX title. Wednesday’s 2-3 win at León put La Máquina back at the top of the table on 19 points, and with points dropped in just two games so far, supporters have every reason to feel optimistic.

But a number of different obstacles lie ahead of the near horizon - starting with perhaps the biggest test that the Celestes could face - away against the defending champions and staunch rivals América. The two teams go head to head on Saturday at the Azteca, in a match which corresponds to matchday 8 of the Clausura 2024.

10 years without beating América as a visitor

Cruz Azul have gone four tournaments without beating the Azulcremas. The last victory occurred on 31 October, in Week 16 of the Apertura 2021. Roberto Alvarado and Jonathan Rodríguez found the target for the Celestes, while Federico Viñas scored the goal for the Coapa team as it finished 2-1 on the night with Emanuel Aguilera compounding América’s misery by getting himself sent off in stoppage-time.

Since that memorable night for Cruz Azul fans, the four most results have been less than positive. In the next meeting, at the Azteca in the Clausura 2022, neither side was able to score as it ended without goals. In the following tournament, the Apertura 2022, América thrashed the visitors 7-0 - the biggest win ever recorded in the Clásico Joven. A year later in the Clausura 2023, the team from Coapa beat the Celestes 1-3; with Alejandro Zendejas scoring a brace. The most recent game was in 2023, and once again the Azulcremas had the upper hand, winning the game 2-3.

Cruz Azul’s last victory as the visiting team against América came in the 2014 Clausura tournament. The Cementeros toasted a 1-2 win at the Azteca Stadium on 5 April 2014 - matchday 14 of the competition. Luis Fernando Tena’s side came away with an imnportant victory thanks to strikes from Mauro Formica and Julio César Domínguez, while ‘Turco’ Antonio Mohamed’s side, the only goal was scored by Raúl Alonso Jiménez. We will see this weekend what happens in the last installment of the sports rivalry between Águilas and Cementeros.