Toluca vs. Santos Laguna – News and Probable Lineups

Currently sitting at the top of the Liga MX Apertura standings after eight matches, Toluca is set to host Santos Laguna at the Nemesio Diez Stadium during matchday nine, with hopes of keeping their lead intact following Sunday evening’s clash.

Head coach Antonio Mohamed has guided his team to an unbeaten record at La Bombonera after an initial setback against Pumas back in July, winning their last three home fixtures. They will be looking for a fourth consecutive home victory against an away side desperate for their first point of the season away from home.

Match overview

After Toluca experienced a 2-1 loss to Pumas in July, the unexpected rise to form at home was difficult to foresee.

That defeat was their second home loss in four matches in all competitions, compounded by a 3-1 defeat against Cruz Azul just days later.

However, following these setbacks, the Red Devils have established a commendable consistency in front of their home fans, propelling them to the top of the Apertura rankings, where they currently hold the first position before the ninth round of fixtures.

After scoring just one time in their losses to Pumas and Cruz Azul, Mohamed’s squad has since netted 12 goals in their last three matches at La Bombonera, achieving victories over Necaxa 3-1, Juarez 4-0, and Atlas 5-2.

These twelve goals at home represent 66.7% of the team’s total, showcasing their notable improvement on home turf as they prepare for the arrival of Santos Laguna.

By the time they take the field, Toluca might find themselves out of first place if Guadalajara defeats Club America later on Sunday, but the Diablos Rojos will be confident in extending their opponents’ poor away record.

This situation is further emphasized by Santos Laguna coming into this matchup without securing any points in four away attempts.

The team managed by Renato Paiva has faced defeat in every match while away from home thus far, conceding three goals in three of those fixtures, which highlights their defensive vulnerabilities.

While some may argue that their losses against Monterrey and Puebla, both ending 3-2, alongside a 3-0 loss against America and a narrow 1-0 loss to Cruz Azul, show the team’s competitive edge, the fact remains that they are currently positioned at the bottom of the standings.

Four of Santos Laguna’s points have been obtained at home, resulting in zero gains from away matches, underlining the pressure they face to secure results in Torreon.

Team News

For the Sunday night game, the absences of Ivan Lopez (knee injury) and Marcel Ruiz (ACL) are anticipated, while Hugo Gonzalez, Erick Gutierrez (muscle) and Santiago Simon (calf) will be evaluated prior to kickoff.

Federico Vinas has scored three goals for Toluca in the Apertura and six in all competitions up to this point, and the forward is eager to increase that tally against the struggling visitors.

Vinas will receive support from Helinho, who has contributed two goals and two assists so far ahead of matchday nine, hoping to net a fifth goal involvement against the second-bottom side.

Santos Laguna has had issues in attack, with Ezequiel Bullaude being the only player to score more than once before the weekend, while his lone assist brings his direct involvement to three.

In terms of injuries, Choco Lozano’s knee condition will be evaluated ahead of the match, while Bruno Amione (knee) and Lucas Di Yorio (leg) remain sidelined.

Toluca probable starting XI:

Garcia; Barbosa, Bruno Mendez, Pereira, Del Villar; Romero, Castro; Angulo, Vinas, Gallardo; Paulinho

Santos Laguna probable starting XI:

Acevedo; Pardo, Sanchez, Orona; Cuevas, Lopez, Villalba, Gonzalez; Palacios, Bullaude, Aguirre

Despite losing three of their four away games, Santos Laguna has remained competitive in those fixtures, suggesting they may not be easily overwhelmed at La Bombonera.

Nevertheless, the Red Devils possess significant attacking strength, which is likely to prove too much for the out-of-form visitors, who could face a fifth straight loss on the road against Toluca.