Liga MX is back, and it returned with some thrilling matches! The 2026 Apertura resumed play this Friday, October 9, with two games that shook up the standings and kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final minutes. While Puebla and León split the points, Tigres defeated Toluca 3-2, a result that allowed América to take the lead in the tournament.
Matchday 11 still has some games left to be played, so the standings could change over the weekend. However, Friday’s results have already had significant consequences for two teams looking to stay in the fight for the top spots.
Puebla Snatches a Draw Against León
In the first match of the round, Puebla and León tied 1-1 at Cuauhtémoc Stadium. La Fiera looked set to take all three points, but La Franja found a way to salvage a draw in the closing minutes.
León’s Ismael Díaz opened the scoring for the Esmeralda, while Eduardo Armenta stepped up late to secure the draw with a spectacular goal.
With this result, León reached 18 points and provisionally moved into fourth place. Puebla, for its part, reached 15 points and sits in eighth place in the standings.
Tigres Defeats Toluca in a Thrilling Match
The match that stole the spotlight was Tigres’ 3-2 victory over Toluca at Estadio Universitario. In a high-scoring clash, the Tigres capitalized on their home-field advantage to secure a crucial win in the 2026 Apertura.
Juan Brunetta was one of the standout players of the night, scoring a brace, while Guillermo Martínez also contributed a goal for Tigres.
For the Diablos Rojos, Paulinho and Federico Viñas each found the back of the net, but their goals weren’t enough to prevent the loss.
The result had a direct impact on the standings: Toluca remained on 20 points and lost first place to América, which has the same number of points but has played two fewer games.
Tigres, led by Víctor Manuel Vucetich, climbed four spots to eleventh place with 13 points. However, the Monterrey-based team will have to wait for the other results of the matchday to determine its final position.
Here is the standings table for the 2026 Apertura
After Friday’s matches, the top of the standings looked as follows:
- América: 20 points, with 9 games played.
- Toluca: 20 points, with 11 games played.
- Chivas: 18 points, with 10 matches played.
- León: 18 points, with 11 matches played.
- Querétaro: 17 points, with nine matches.
- Atlas: 17 points, with 10 matches played.
- Cruz Azul: 16 points, with 10 games played.
- Puebla: 15 points, in 11 matches.
- Tijuana: 14 points, in nine games.
- Monterrey: 13 points, in nine matches.
- Tigres: 13 points, in 11 games.
The race for first place is still wide open. América has the advantage of having two games in hand over Toluca, while Chivas could also close in on the top spot if they get a good result in the Clásico Tapatío against Atlas.
Juan Brunetta Joins the Race for the Scoring Title
Tigres’ victory also put Juan Brunetta among the stars of the matchday. Thanks to his two-goal performance against Toluca, the Argentine reached six goals in the 2026 Apertura and moved into the top tier of the scoring table.
Brunetta shares that tally with Julián Carranza, Henry Martín, and Óscar Estupiñán. For now, the leading scorer is Rondón, with 11 goals.
With the return of Mexican soccer, Matchday 11 promises more changes both in the overall standings and in the individual race for the top scorer title. América is already at the top, Toluca will look to bounce back, and Tigres will try to capitalize on the momentum from a victory that could mark a turning point in their season.
