Club América delivered a commanding performance in Mexico City, dispatching a flat Santos Laguna 3-0 in Liga MX Apertura matchday 12, solidifying their status as title contenders. The victory was built on relentless attacking play, clinical finishing, and a midfield that orchestrated one-way traffic for much of the night.

From the opening whistle, América stamped their authority, controlling 57% of the ball and peppering Santos’s goal with 28 shots, 15 of which were on target—a relentless barrage that saw goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo produce 11 saves to keep the deficit respectable. The tone was set early, with América’s front three stretching the visitors’ back line, while midfield anchor Erick Sánchez dictated tempo in possession.

The breakthrough arrived in the 39th minute when Rodrigo Aguirre, fresh off the bench just minutes earlier, finished off a clever interchange, latching onto a well-weighted pass from Alejandro Zendejas and rifling home to put América in front. Aguirre’s impact was immediate, and the hosts surged into halftime with a deserved lead, only denied a second by VAR, which ruled out Aguirre’s stoppage time goal for a foul in the buildup.

After the interval, Santos attempted to raise their intensity, but América’s press and precision passing proved too much. Brian Rodríguez doubled the lead in the 62nd minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to slot past a stranded Acevedo. Just nine minutes later, Alan Cervantes—who anchored América’s midfield throughout—put the result beyond doubt with a crisp finish from the edge of the box, capping off yet another sweeping move.

Santos Laguna, for their part, were stymied in the final third, registering just five shots all night and forcing only two saves from América keeper Luis Malagón. Haret Ortega’s early yellow card summed up a frustrating evening, and further bookings for Rodrigo Sordo and Víctor Dávila reflected the side’s growing desperation as the match wore on.

América’s dominance was underscored by their command of the midfield and relentless creation of chances, finishing with 11 corners to Santos’ three and a pass completion rate of 87%. Substitutions in the second half allowed coach André Soares Jardine to rest starters, with the scoreline secure.

The result sees América climb further up the Liga MX table, looking every bit like a team primed for a deep playoff run, while Santos Laguna are left to regroup after a chastening defeat, still searching for solutions in a difficult campaign.

Sources from official Liga MX broadcast partners and the Club América YouTube channel provide extensive highlights and analysis of the match.