Paulinho bags a brace for Toluca and catches Roberto Martínez’s eye (video) | OneFootball

Toluca smiled again in the Mexican league, beating Necaxa away 3-0 in a match for the seventh round. The victory only began to take shape in the final stretch of the game, but ended up being emphatic, especially due to the effectiveness shown in decisive moments. Paulinho, former Sporting striker, was in the spotlight, scoring for the third consecutive game and netting two of the three goals for the visiting team, once again catching the eye of Roberto Martínez.

The first half ended goalless, even though Necaxa created the clearest chances. The home team started more aggressively, pressed high, and managed several dangerous approaches to the goal defended by Luis García. Toluca showed some difficulties in building up play, but managed to maintain defensive organization and withstand the opponent’s pressure.

Near halftime, the team featuring Paulinho began to balance the match, pushing higher up the pitch and gaining greater control of possession. Even so, it was in the second half that the match regained intensity. Just two minutes after the restart, a dangerous header from Necaxa forced Luis García into a top-class save, preventing the opening goal.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 78th minute. After an offensive recovery, Jorge Díaz found himself one-on-one, but saw his shot saved by the opposing goalkeeper. Persisting, he crossed low into the heart of the area, where Paulinho was on hand to tap in for 1-0. The goal truly shook up the game and gave Toluca confidence.

Just four minutes later, the Portuguese striker scored again, capitalizing on a loose ball in Necaxa’s midfield to burst forward at speed and calmly finish for 2-0. Already in stoppage time, Federico Pereira sealed the result with a header, confirming the 3-0 win. With this result, Toluca climbs to third place with 15 points, just three behind leaders Chivas Guadalajara.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.