By Kelvin Loyola
In matchday 2 of the Leagues Cup, both Toluca and CF Montréal—who drew their opening games and won via penalty kicks—are looking to gain important ground in the standings with a victory.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- Toluca and CF Montréal have never played each other, setting up a historic matchup that could send one of these teams through to the next round of the Leagues Cup
- Record at Leagues Cup: Toluca (7-2), Montreal (3-3)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- Toluca:
- 4 Wins, 1 Loss
- Have been on a tear offensively with 15 goals over their last 5 games
- CF Montréal:
- 2 Wins, 1 Draw, 2 Losses
- Have recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season across all competitions
MAIN STORYLINES:
- Toluca bounced back from a shaky start against Columbus by scoring two goals in nine minutes and remain unbeaten in Leagues Cup group play
- Paulinho has been on a tear since his arrival to Toluca in July 2024, he's scored 31 goals in 43 total games since his arrival
- Toluca has proven they know how to find the net in this tournament, scoring 16 goals in five group stage matches
- CF Montréal may be bottom of the MLS East, but they’ve never lost to a Liga MX side in the Leagues Cup, boasting a 3-0 record
- This will be CF Montréal’s first time facing a Liga MX side on U.S. soil, with Toluca designated as the “home” team
KEY FACTORS:
- Toluca:
- Antonio Mohamed’s team is clicking offensively, but their defense is still shaky—they had to fight hard to claw back against Columbus. A tighter defensive performance will be needed to contain CF Montréal
- Toluca are the comeback kings of the Leagues Cup, having come from behind three times to get wins
- Toluca goalkeeper, Luis García, made a great PK save against Diego Rossi late in regulation and then gave his club the win with multiple saves in the shootout
- CF Montréal
- Interim manager Marco Donadel is trying to right the ship, they're last place in MLS standings but showed out in the Leagues Cup opener out-shooting León 17-3 in their matchup
- Prince Owusu continues to lead CF Montréal’s offense, scoring against León and tallying 11 goals this MLS season
- Donadel will look to the likes of Caden Clark (4 Ast in MLS this season) and Fullback Luca Petrasso (3 Ast in MLS this season) to spark the attack
WHAT TO EXPECT?
A cautious approach from CF Montréal may be in the cards, given Toluca’s firepower up front. But don’t expect Donadel’s side to simply park the bus—Toluca’s leaky defense and Prince Owusu’s form may be too tempting not to exploit.
Both teams come into the match at full strength, with no reported injuries. Given their recent Leagues Cup history, both will fancy their chances.
A win will likely secure a place in the next round. Toluca will look for a standout performance from Alexis Vega, who’s still operating in Paulinho’s shadow.
It’s the kind of matchup where if Toluca lose focus, CF Montréal could make them pay. But if Toluca start strong, it might be game over early.
