Sergio Ramos and Rayados suffer humiliation

Toluca reminded everyone why they’re the current kings of Liga MX, steamrolling one of the top contenders for the Apertura 2025 crown. In the fiery atmosphere of the Nemesio Diez, the Diablos Rojos delivered a commanding 6-2 victory over Sergio Ramos’ Monterrey - a match in which the Spanish star even missed a penalty.

Billed as the marquee matchup of Matchday 10, the clash lived up to the hype. Toluca snapped Monterrey’s eight-game unbeaten streak thanks to a hat trick from Paulinho, a brace from Nicolás Castro, and a long-range strike by Jesús Angulo.

Monterrey struck first, wasting no time. In the 10th minute, Germán Berterame pounced on a rebound in the six-yard box after Hugo González parried a shot from Jesús Manuel Corona. It was a deserved lead for the visitors, who started strong.

Momentum stayed with Monterrey early on, and in the 17th minute, they earned a penalty after Jesús Gallardo clipped Berterame in the box. Ramos stepped up two minutes later and attempted a cheeky Panenka - but González read it perfectly and kept the scoreline at 1-0.

Toluca punish Rayados

Ramos’ miss proved costly. Instead of doubling their lead, Monterrey opened the door for a Toluca comeback - and the hosts didn’t hesitate.

In the 23rd minute, Angulo leveled the score with a powerful strike from outside the box that clipped the post and beat goalkeeper Mele, who got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out. Toluca had already threatened twice before finally breaking through.

Just two minutes later, the Diablos completed the turnaround. Alexis Vega and Paulinho combined beautifully, and the Portuguese forward finished coolly in a one-on-one with Mele to make it 2-1.

Toluca’s third came in the 34th minute, courtesy of Castro, who unleashed a rocket from distance that nestled into the bottom-left corner. The stadium erupted - and the fireworks weren’t over yet.

Monterrey tried to claw back into the game. In the 38th minute, Óliver Torres headed home a cross from Erick Aguirre to make it 3-2. But the joy was short-lived. Just a minute later, Marcel Ruiz and Paulinho linked up again, and the striker found himself in prime position to slot home his second of the night - effectively a penalty in open play - to restore Toluca’s two-goal cushion.

The second half saw Toluca seal the rout. In the 52nd minute, Paulinho completed his hat trick with a left-footed finish inside the six-yard box, set up by Vega from the right flank. Then, in the 61st minute, Castro capped off a lightning-fast counterattack by chipping Mele. The ball kissed the post before nestling into the net.

Martial makes little difference

It’s worth noting that Anthony Martial - one of the highest-profile signings of the recent transfer window - came on at halftime for Monterrey in hopes of sparking a comeback. But the Frenchman had little impact on a night dominated by the home side.

With the win, Toluca climbed to 22 points, securing second place in the Apertura standings - just two behind league leaders Cruz Azul. Monterrey, despite the loss, also sits on 22 points.

When do Toluca and Monterrey play next?

Both teams are back in action on Saturday, September 27. Toluca will host Mazatlán, while Monterrey welcomes Santos Laguna.

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