Club de Fútbol Monterrey are looking for a statement win against the league leaders this Saturday, in a friendly against Toluca in Houston that serves as revenge for their Leagues Cup final defeat. The match, to be played at Shell Energy Stadium at 23:30 UTC, comes during an inconsistent spell for Monterrey, who sit 10th in Liga MX with 13 points from nine games.
Fernando Ortiz's squad travels to Texas depleted by international call-ups. Confirmed absentees include Víctor Guzmán and Orbelín Pineda, with the Mexican national team, and the injured top scorer Lucas Ocampos. Other internationals like Stefan Medina and Erick Aguirre are also missing. This could open the door for more minutes for youngsters like César Garza, who scored the winner against Cruz Azul.
For Toluca, manager Antonio Mohamed arrives in fine form. "I am very well at the club, I am very happy. The best moment of my career," said the Argentine coach, who has won six titles in a year and a half in charge. His team leads the table with 20 points, seven more than Monterrey, though they are on a two-game winless run.
The last meeting between the sides was the Leagues Cup final on September 6, which Toluca won 2-0. In the last five head-to-head matches, Toluca have won four. Monterrey need to regain confidence after their last outing, a 4-2 defeat to Atlante where Hugo Cuypers and Roberto de la Rosa scored consolation goals. Monterrey's next official fixture is a key clash away to second-placed Club America on October 11.
