Toluca beat Monterrey 4-0 at Estadio Nemesio Diez on Saturday in Jornada 16 of the Liga MX Apertura 2026, ending a seven-match winless run in the league.
Paulinho scored twice, in the 23rd and 51st minutes. Nicolas Castro opened the scoring in the eighth minute, and Jesus Gallardo completed it in the 90th minute.
Monterrey finished with ten players after Carlos Salcedo was sent off in the 61st minute. Toluca move provisionally to fourth place, while Monterrey sit provisionally tenth.
Result: Toluca 4-0 Monterrey
Goals: Toluca: Nicolas Castro 8′, Paulinho 23′, 51′, Jesus Gallardo 90′.
Competition: Liga MX Apertura 2026, Jornada 16
Venue: Estadio Nemesio Diez, Toluca
Toluca vs Monterrey Match Recap
Toluca took the lead in the eighth minute. Brian Garcia set up Nicolas Castro, who scored from the center of the area.
Paulinho doubled the lead in the 23rd minute. Castro played him through, and Paulinho finished from close range on the left side of the area.
Monterrey had their clearest first-half chances through Ricardo Chavez and Lucas Ocampos. Chavez had a shot saved in the 29th minute, and Ocampos shot over in the 43rd minute.
The first half ended with Toluca 2-0 ahead. In Jornada 15, Toluca led 2-1 at Club America in the 87th minute before a penalty in added time made it 2-2.
Paulinho scored his second goal in the 51st minute. Helinho provided the assist, and Paulinho finished with his right foot to make it 3-0.
Monterrey made three changes in the 57th minute. Iker Fimbres, Aldo De Nigris and Erick Aguirre entered for Hugo Cuypers, Ricardo Chavez and Orbelin Pineda.
The visitors then lost Salcedo in the 61st minute. He was shown a straight red card for a foul on Helinho, and Monterrey played the rest of the match with ten players.
Toluca used their bench in the closing stages. Federico Vinas replaced Helinho in the 69th minute, and Pavel Perez replaced Paulinho in the 84th minute.
Gallardo added the fourth goal in the 90th minute. Vinas provided the assist, and Gallardo scored with a low left-footed shot from the center of the area.
The result is Toluca’s first league win since September 15. Read FutnSoccer’s recap of the 2-2 draw at Club America in Jornada 15 for their previous match.
Match Stats
| Stat | Toluca | Monterrey |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 62% | 38% |
| Shots | 9 | 5 |
| Shots on target | 7 | 2 |
| Corners | 6 | 6 |
| Saves | 2 | 3 |
| Fouls | 9 | 12 |
Match data: Sportradar.
Starting Lineups
Toluca: Hugo Gonzalez; Brian Garcia, Luan Garcia, Everardo Lopez, Jesus Gallardo; Franco Romero, Erick Gutierrez; Helinho, Nicolas Castro, Alexis Vega; Paulinho.
Monterrey: Esteban Andrada; Ricardo Chavez, Victor Guzman, Carlos Salcedo, Gerardo Arteaga; Cesar Garza, Orbelin Pineda; Lucas Ocampos, Oliver Torres, Diego Rossi; Hugo Cuypers.
Three Takeaways From Toluca vs Monterrey
1. Paulinho scored twice and Castro had a goal and an assist
Paulinho scored in the 23rd and 51st minutes. Sportradar recorded four shots for him, with three on target.
Castro scored the opening goal in the eighth minute and assisted Paulinho for the second. He was involved in both goals that built the halftime lead.
2. Toluca ended a seven-match winless run
Toluca had gone seven league matches without a win, with five draws and two defeats. Their previous league win was 1-0 at Puebla on September 15, 2026.
Four straight draws preceded this match, including the 2-2 draw at Club America in Jornada 15. This time Toluca kept the lead and added two second-half goals.
3. Monterrey produced two shots on target and finished with ten players
Monterrey recorded five shots in total, with two on target. They did not score, after scoring three goals in their 3-3 draw with Tijuana in Jornada 15.
Salcedo’s red card in the 61st minute left them with ten players at 3-0 down. See FutnSoccer’s recap of Monterrey’s 3-3 draw with Tijuana for that match.
What the Result Means
Toluca move provisionally to fourth place with 27 points from 16 matches. Their record is seven wins, six draws and three defeats, with 35 goals scored and 21 conceded.
Monterrey sit provisionally tenth with 21 points from 15 matches. Their record is six wins, three draws and six defeats, with 26 goals scored and 25 conceded.
Jornada 16 is not complete. More matches are scheduled on Saturday night and on Sunday, so both positions are provisional until the jornada settles.
The top eight advance directly to the Liguilla quarterfinals in the Apertura 2026, with no Play-In. Monterrey still have a game in hand on the clubs around them.
That game in hand is the pending Jornada 7 match at Queretaro. For the full fixture list, see the Liga MX schedule page.
Watch: Toluca vs Monterrey Highlights
What Comes Next
Monterrey visit Queretaro on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at Estadio La Corregidora in their pending Jornada 7 match. Kickoff is 5:00 PM CT (6:00 PM ET).
Toluca finish the regular season at Pachuca on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Estadio Hidalgo in Jornada 17. Kickoff is 5:00 PM CT (6:00 PM ET).
Monterrey’s pending match is played during the November international break, and Toluca’s final match follows it. See the Liga MX viewing hub for how to watch in the United States.
