The Liga MX Apertura 2025 season continued its thrilling pace this Saturday, July 26, with a highly anticipated clash between Toluca and Tigres UANL. Hosted at the Estadio Nemesio Diez, affectionately known as ‘The Hell,’ this Jornada 3 encounter promised a fierce battle, especially given the recent history between these two formidable clubs.
Toluca, under the guidance of Antonio ‘Turco’ Mohamed, entered the match in formidable form. The ‘Diablos Rojos’ have been nothing short of dominant, having been crowned the absolute champions of Liga MX after a commanding 3-1 victory over América in the Campeón de Campeones. Their strong start to the Apertura 2025 season saw them secure two consecutive victories, including a remarkable comeback against Santos Laguna, where they overturned a 2-0 deficit to win 4-2. This impressive run has positioned them as the current leaders of the general table, showcasing their intent to defend their title with vigor, as reported by Mediotiempo.
On the other side, Tigres UANL arrived in Toluca seeking to build momentum after securing their first victory of the tournament. The ‘Felinos’ kicked off their Apertura 2025 campaign with a narrow 1-0 win against FC Juárez, a match that also marked the debut of their new star signing, Argentine Ángel Correa. Despite their initial win, Tigres found themselves in seventh place in the standings with three points and a clean sheet prior to this match, according to Mediotiempo.
The rivalry between Toluca and Tigres has intensified significantly in 2025, with the ‘Diablos Rojos’ holding a clear advantage. As highlighted by TUDN, Tigres had not managed to defeat Toluca in any of their three encounters during the Clausura 2025 tournament. This included a 1-0 league defeat at the Nemesio Diez in Jornada 5, and a particularly painful elimination in the Semifinals, where after a 1-1 draw in the first leg at home, Tigres suffered a decisive 3-0 loss in the return leg at Toluca’s stadium. These results underscored Toluca’s dominance, especially when playing at home.
The match was scheduled for Saturday, July 26, 2025, at 7:00 PM Central Mexico Time. For viewers in the United States, the game kicked off at 9:00 PM ET, 8:00 PM CT, and 6:00 PM PT. Fans in Mexico could catch the live action on Azteca 7 and via streaming on Tubi, while those in the U.S. had multiple options including Univision, TUDN, tudn.com, the TUDN app, and ViX, as detailed by both Mediotiempo and TUDN.
The first half of the match proved to be a rollercoaster of emotions and goals. Toluca initially took the lead in the 11th minute with a goal from Paulinho, assisted by Helinho, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. However, Tigres quickly responded. In the 21st minute, an unfortunate own goal by Toluca’s Federico Pereira leveled the score at 1-1. Tigres then seized control, with Ozziel Herrera finding the back of the net in the 35th minute to put the visitors ahead. Just before halftime, in the 45th minute plus one, Nicolás Ibáñez extended Tigres’ lead to 3-1, assisted by Javier Aquino. The first half concluded with Tigres holding a significant advantage, a stark contrast to Toluca’s recent dominance over them, according to live updates from Mediotiempo.
Pre-match odds from RushBet had favored Toluca at -148, with a draw at +255 and Tigres at +325, highlighting the unexpected turn of events in the first 45 minutes. The confirmed lineups for the match saw Toluca fielding González; Isaís, Méndez, García, Gallardo; Ruiz, Castro, Arce, Helinho, Paulinho; and Vega. Tigres countered with Guzmán; Aquino, Purata, Joaquim, Garza; Gorriarán, Brunetta; Lainez, López, Ibáñez; and Correa.
This Jornada 3 encounter was more than just three points; it was a test of resilience for Toluca and a chance for Tigres to rewrite their recent history against the reigning champions. The first half certainly set the stage for a dramatic conclusion to this highly anticipated Liga MX fixture.
