Monterrey secures fourth consecutive victory in Clausura 2023
A brace from Alfonso González led Rayados to their fourth consecutive victory in Clausura 2023, defeating Toluca 2-1 at the BBVA Stadium.
"Ponchito" performed brilliantly at the "Gigante de Acero" and contributed with two goals to help Monterrey climb to second place in the standings with 12 points.
Rayados maintained their dominance over the Diablos in the City, as they haven't lost against them since Clausura 2016, but they struggled in the closing minutes of the match.
After repeatedly searching for a goal against Tiago Volpi, Rayados finally found the back of the net in the 17th minute.
During a clearance by Esteban Andrada, the Toluca defense made a poor interception, leaving the ball at the feet of Germán Berterame, who assisted a charging "Ponchito" in the area, and he scored with his left foot to make it 1-0 in the 17th minute.
Just 13 minutes later, Alfonso González extended Rayados' lead to 2-0, connecting with a diagonal cross from Jesús Gallardo on the left flank.
Rayados tried to score more goals in the match but lacked accuracy in Berterame's shots, missed clear chances from Rogelio Funes Mori, and hit the post with a shot from Rodrigo Aguirre.
Despite being down 2-0 in the first half, Toluca found a lifeline with Maximiliano Araujo's goal in the 61st minute, assisted by Jean Meneses from the right wing, narrowing the gap.
With the scoreline at 2-1, Monterrey has now conceded goals in seven consecutive matches and hasn't kept a clean sheet since the second leg of the Apertura 2022 Quarterfinals.
After Toluca's resurgence, the "Sabandija" goalkeeper was crucial in maintaining the lead and ended the match with five key saves.
Rayados will seek their fifth consecutive victory in Matchday 6, as they visit Atlas at the Estadio Jalisco on February 9th at 21:05 hours.