Liga MX · Apertura - 13 
Cruz Azul favoured in Pachuca, but can the hosts trouble them?
Cruz Azul travel to Estadio Hidalgo as clear favourites, sitting fifth while Pachuca languish in 14th. Can the home side turn a lopsided table into a close contest?
📍 Estadio Hidalgo
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| Scored | Conceded | |
|---|---|---|
| CF Pachuca | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Cruz Azul | 2.3 | 1.8 |
League position
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Cruz Azul | 12 | +6 | 20 |
| 14 | CF Pachuca | 12 | +3 | 13 |
Last meetings
- 2026Cruz Azul1-2CF Pachuca
- 2025CF Pachuca0-1Cruz Azul
- 2025Cruz Azul2-1CF Pachuca
- 2024CF Pachuca2-4Cruz Azul
- 2024Cruz Azul0-1CF Pachuca
PreviaXI model
- Most likely score
- 0-1
- Expected goals (xG)
- 1.11 – 1.34
- Over 2.5 goals
- 44%
- Both teams score
- 51%
- Expected corners
- 4.6 – 4.6Total9.2
- Expected cards
- 2.8 – 2.5Total5.3
Statistical model based on expected goals (xG), results and match statistics from the last two seasons. For information only.
Cruz Azul arrive in Pachuca fifth in the Apertura table with 20 points from 12 matches, a position that keeps them firmly in the title conversation in an 18-team league. CF Pachuca, 14th on 13 points, are the underdogs on Thursday, but they have shown this season that they can make a stronger side work for every point.
Fifth place and a point to prove
Cruz Azul’s goal difference of +6 is double Pachuca’s +3, and the gap between the two sides reflects how differently their seasons have gone. The visitors have built their campaign on a rhythm of wins, scoring 27 goals in 12 games. Pachuca have had to dig in, and at Estadio Hidalgo they have been especially hard to trust.
Two different roads
Cruz Azul’s season sequence reads WWLLLWWWLDDW, with a recent run of WDDLW. They have been at their best on the road in terms of consistency, although their away record is more mixed, with two wins, one draw and two defeats from five matches.
Pachuca’s last five read LDLDW, and their campaign has been built on draws and narrow margins. They have not won a single home league game this season, collecting three draws and two defeats at the stadium. Their attack has come alive late, with seven of their 19 goals arriving between the 76th and 90th minutes, a pattern that could matter if the game stays tight.
Cruz Azul’s edge in recent meetings
The rivalry has been tight. In the last five meetings, Cruz Azul have won three and Pachuca two, with no draws. Cruz Azul have scored eight goals across those games to Pachuca’s six, and the most recent meeting went Pachuca’s way, a 2-1 win over Cruz Azul in April.
Our prediction
PreviaXI’s model favours Cruz Azul, and the football logic backs that lean. Cruz Azul have been the more reliable side in open play and have the better away form, while Pachuca’s struggles at home make it difficult to see them dominating the ball. Expect a cagey, physical game in which Pachuca’s late threat keeps the tension alive, but Cruz Azul’s sharper edge should be enough to take the points.
CF Pachuca 0-1 Cruz Azul