Enner Valencia propelled Pachuca into the semifinals of the 2026 Clausura tournament, ending Toluca’s reign with a 2-0 victory.
The Ecuadorian striker opened the scoring from a penalty in the 36th minute, and Brazilian Robert Kenedy sealed the win with a second-half goal at Estadio Hidalgo. The 2-0 win gave Pachuca a 3-0 aggregate victory in the quarterfinal series.
“My players put together an excellent series, and we have to acknowledge that. Beating the reigning double champions twice, a great team with incredible depth, and not conceding a single goal is no easy feat,” said Pachuca manager Esteban Solari.
In the first leg, Pachuca won 1-0 away at Nemesio Diez, with Valencia again on the scoresheet. This Sunday, in rainy conditions, the Red Devils’ quest for a third consecutive league title came to an end under coach Antonio Mohamed.
“We came with every intention of turning it around, but we had no luck in the series. We hit the woodwork multiple times, had close chances, and the penalty call really hurt us. After that, Pachuca defended well and deserved to win,” Mohamed admitted.
Valencia converted the penalty in the 10th minute after the referee awarded a controversial spot-kick following a foul on the Ecuadorian forward. Kenedy then made it 2-0 in the 48th minute, calmly finishing past the goalkeeper.
Toluca entered the match with several key absences. Full-back Jesús Gallardo and winger Alexis Vega were called up for Mexico’s World Cup training camp, while Uruguayan defender Federico Pereira remains injured and Portuguese striker Paulinho did not travel to Pachuca.
The team led by “Turco” Mohamed was unlucky, striking the post three times during the match. Now eliminated from the domestic league, Toluca will focus on the Concacaf Champions Cup final, where they will host Tigres on May 30.