Toluca, Monterrey aim to make it six Liga MX teams in CCL Round of 16

Two more Liga MX teams are poised to join Pachuca, Guadalajara, América and Tigres in the Concacaf Champions League Round of 16.

Toluca and Monterrey returned from first-leg road games with wins and they’re prepared to finish business at home tonight.

Toluca will take the field at “La Bombonera” with a 2-1 advantage after fighting off 10-man Herediano in Costa Rica. 

The Diablos Rojos coasted to a 2-0 lead after Herediano suffered a 12th-minute red card, but a minute 88 goal by Deyver Vega handed the Central Americans a life-line, if only a short one. 

The visitors from Central America will have to win 1-0 or triumph by a 2-goal margin to advance to the Round of 16. A 2-1 victory for Herediano will force the match to overtime. If the game remains tied, the series would be decided by a penalty shootout, where the Liga MX club would have the advantage of a seasoned goalie – Tiago Volpi.

Toluca – the highest-scoring team in Liga MX with 16 goals in six games – will not sit back and try to protect the lead, according to coach Renato Paiva. The Portuguese manager told reporters that “Los Choriceros” will apply pressure from the outset and try to smother the Herediano attack.

The Diablos Rojos will have to avoid exposing themselves to quick strikes as they have not been particularly strong on defense in Liga MX play. Paiva’s men have conceded 11 goals thus far and have allowed at least one goal in each game.

Toluca fans will hope their heroes won’t regret conceding that last-minute goal a week ago, especially after dominating the ball most of the night. The Diablos Rojos enjoyed 68% possession but only outshot Herediano 14-9.

With one foot in Round of 16, Rayados will rest players

In Thursday’s nightcap, Monterrey appears to have a chokehold on the series after last week’s convincing 4-1 win over Comunicaciones in Guatemala City.

Coach Fernando Ortiz went with a first-choice line-up against “Los Cremas” and the Rayados exploded for three second-half goals to set up what should be an easy second-leg contest at the Estadio BBVa Bancomer.

Germán Berterame, “Ponchito” González, Jesús Gallardo and Rodrigo Aguirre were the goal-scorers for the Liga MX side.

Coach Ortiz said he will rotate players tonight, in part because of the comfortable lead the Liga MX giants enjoy, but primarily because the Rayados are in the early stages of a stretch of seven games in 32 days. 

There won’t be much time to rest after tonight’s game as the Liga MX calendar has Monterrey hosting Toluca on Sunday.