Santos Laguna defeats Toluca 3-2 in dramatic Liga MX comeback

Santos Laguna secured a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory against league leaders Toluca at the Estadio Nemesio Diez during Matchday 9 of the Liga MX Apertura 2026. Toluca initially controlled the match, taking a 2-0 lead through goals from Federico Viñas and a spectacular backheel strike by Paulinho.

The momentum shifted when Santos Laguna’s Ezequiel Bullaude scored late in the first half, followed by a red card for Toluca defender Everardo López. Despite playing with ten men, Toluca struggled to maintain their advantage in the second half. Santos Laguna capitalized on the numerical superiority, with Kevin Palacios scoring in the 86th minute and Villalba netting the winning goal in stoppage time.

Despite the loss, Toluca remains at the top of the Liga MX standings with 19 points. Chivas follows in second place with 18 points, while Club América holds third with 17. Other notable results from the round include a 2-2 draw in the Clásico Nacional between América and Chivas, and a 2-0 victory for FC Juárez over Tigres.