Eerie signs point to Monterrey winning the Liga MX Apertura 2025 title

Monterrey is chasing the Liga MX crown in the Apertura 2025 playoffs after years without a league title. The squad boasts international stars like Sergio Ramos, Sergio Canales, Anthony Martial, Lucas Ocampos, and Óliver Torres, all eager to break the club’s championship drought.

Interestingly, this tournament has several quirks that echo Monterrey’s 2009 Apertura triumph, fueling hopes among fans that history might repeat itself.

Striking playoff coincidences

In 2009, Monterrey entered the Liguilla as the fifth seed and went on to win the title. This season, the club finds itself in the same fifth-place spot. Then as now, they face Club América in the quarterfinals. América finished fourth in the standings in both tournaments.

Notably, in the era of short tournaments, the 2009 quarterfinal matchup was the only time Monterrey and América faced each other at this stage. Monterrey won that tie 2-1 on aggregate and eventually lifted the trophy.

Toluca’s familiar role

Another parallel: Toluca led the league in both tournaments, earning 37 points in 2009 and 35 this season. Monterrey also faced Toluca in the 2009 semifinals.

Shared top scorers

Monterrey’s 2009 regular season ended with two players tied as the club’s top scorers: Aldo de Nigris and Humberto Suazo, each with seven goals. The same pattern appears in 2025, with Germán Berterame and Sergio Canales both netting nine goals.

Ending the drought

Back in 2009, Monterrey had not won a Liga MX title since the Clausura 2003, a gap of about six and a half years. The club is now in a similar position, approaching six years without a league crown since December 2019.

Chilean striker Humberto “Chupete” Suazo, a key figure in the 2009 squad and a scorer against América in the quarterfinals, will return to the club for this series, but not on the field. Suazo, recently retired, will be honored before the first leg against América at Estadio BBVA.

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