CF MONTRÉAL 1–6 TORONTO FC

By Sofia Pisano

In one of the most lopsided and emphatic performances in Canadian Classique history, Toronto FC dismantled 10-man CF Montréal with a stunning 6–1 victory on enemy ground at Stade Saputo. It was a dominant, complete performance from the Reds, headlined by a brace from Federico Bernardeschi and a double from Theo Corbeanu, while Montréal collapsed defensively following an early red card.

First Half: Toronto Ruthless, Montréal in Disarray

The match opened with intensity, as both sides traded early free kicks and jostled for control in midfield. Toronto FC wasted no time asserting their authority. In the 14th minute, Tyrese Spicer opened the scoring with a delightful left-footed strike from the left edge of the box (xG 10%), curling his shot into the top left central zone beyond a rooted Sébastian Breza. Ola Brynhildsen provided the assist after breaking free down the middle and drawing defenders before laying it off.

Just minutes later, the tone of the game shifted dramatically. In the 21st minute, CF Montréal’s Joel Waterman was shown a straight red card after pulling back Brynhildsen as the last man—denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Montréal was forced to reshuffle with only 10 men for the remaining 70+ minutes.

Toronto capitalized quickly. In the 30th minute, Federico Bernardeschi made it 2–0 with a trademark strike from the right edge of the box (xG 13%), finishing low and hard to the far post after Deybi Flores threaded a precise pass into space.

Three minutes later, Toronto added a third. A flowing move down the right saw Bernardeschi combine with Maxime Dominguez, who smartly laid it off to Brynhildsen at the top of the six-yard box. With time and space, the Norwegian coolly finished low to the left (xG 56%) to make it 3–0.

CF Montréal, to their credit, had chances. Dante Sealy struck the post in the 35th minute from a central position (xG 3%), and shortly after, Nathan-Dylan Saliba hit the woodwork again with a speculative long-range effort. Victor Loturi and Tom Pearce also forced saves from Sean Johnson, but the first half ended 0–3 with Toronto in full command.

Second Half: Floodgates Open Further

Both sides made substitutions at the break, but the dynamic remained unchanged.

In the 55th minute, Bernardeschi struck again to make it 4–0. This time, from the right half-space, he unleashed a venomous left-footed effort from outside the box (xG 2%) into the top left corner—another world-class finish, this one assisted by Lorenzo Insigne, who had grown into the game.

Montréal managed to pull one back in the 64th minute. In a rare coordinated attacking moment, Luca Petrasso played a precise cutback to Giacomo Vrioni, who clinically finished from the center of the box (xG 81%) to reduce the deficit to 1–4. It was a consolation, albeit a well-constructed goal.

Any hopes of a comeback were immediately crushed. Just two minutes later, Theo Corbeanu—a second-half substitute—added Toronto’s fifth. After Bernardeschi had a shot blocked, the ball broke kindly to Corbeanu in the middle of the box. He calmly slotted home with his left foot (xG 14%) to restore the four-goal cushion.

The game slowed temporarily with fouls and substitutions, including bookings for Jalen Neal and Dante Sealy, but Toronto continued to press. In the 91st minute, Corbeanu struck again. After a flowing move, Bernardeschi slid a pass to the right, and Corbeanu buried a right-footed finish into the left-central zone of the net (xG 37%) for 6–1—his second goal of the match and a commanding finish to an already brutal evening for Montréal.

Final Whistle & Key Takeaways

Toronto’s dominance was complete. The numbers told the story:

• Goals: 6 for Toronto, 1 for Montréal

• xG: Toronto FC ~2.5 (from 6 goals), CF Montréal ~1.4 (from 1 goal)

• Shots on target: Toronto 11, Montréal 5

• Red Cards: Montréal 1 (Waterman, 21’)

• Man of the Match: Federico Bernardeschi — 2 goals, 2 assists, total class throughout

The victory pushes Toronto FC further up the Eastern Conference table and sends a warning across MLS. Montréal, meanwhile, will need serious reflection—particularly with defensive discipline and structure, as this historic rivalry result will sting for some time.

Notable Player Ratings (out of 10):

• Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC) – 9.5: A masterclass of movement, vision, and finishing.

• Theo Corbeanu (Toronto FC) – 8.5: Impact substitute with a brace.

• Maxime Dominguez (Toronto FC) – 8.0: Composed and influential in midfield.

• Ola Brynhildsen (Toronto FC) – 8.0: One goal, one assist, constant threat.

• Sébastian Breza (CF Montréal) – 5.0: Left exposed repeatedly, made some decent saves.

• Giacomo Vrioni (CF Montréal) – 6.5: Lone bright spot in attack.

• Joel Waterman (CF Montréal) – 3.0: Red card changed the match completely.

Up Next

Toronto FC will look to carry this form into their next fixture at home, while CF Montréal will need to regroup quickly ahead of their challenging road trip. For now, bragging rights in Canada belong emphatically to the Reds.