Pachuca finished on top of the table in Clausura last season, but still ended up losing to Santos Laguna. It was their first loss in this fixture since 2017, but one that sent shockwaves across Mexico as the result was unpredictable.
Brian Lozano’s penalty gave Santos the lead in the 42nd minute and helped them go into the break ahead. They swiftly doubled their lead after the restart, with Harold Preciado getting the goal in the 51st minute.
Jordan Carillo Rodriguez was shown the red card in the 70th minute before VAR changed it to a yellow. He made the most of it and scored the third goal of the match in the 75th minute to seal the win for the home side. Nicolás Ibáñez pulled one back in the 82nd minute but could not spark a comeback.
The last time these two sides met in the Apertura, the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Nicolás Ibáñez was on the scoresheet that day as well for Pachuca as he scored the opening goal of the match in the 62nd minute.
The home side looked set to win the match despite Miguel Herrera getting a red card in the 79th minute. However, Santos Laguna got a penalty in the 89th minute, and Fernando Gorriarán converted to end the game 1-1.
The last time Pachuca defeated Santos Laguna was in the 2021 edition of Clausura. They edged out a 1-0 win thanks to Ismael Sosa’s penalty in the second half. Luis Chávez was sent off in the first half for the home side, but they still managed to hold their nerves and get the win by defending well and scoring from their lone shot on target.
Pachuca Are on a Three Match Winning Streak
Pachuca missed out on the Clausura title at the end after they were beaten by Atlas in the final. They topped the table and were unbeaten against all sides that qualified for the playoffs but could not get things done in the knockout stage.
Keen to go all the way this time around, Pachuca started the pre-season early and played three matches against sides from America in June. They defeated Austin FC, but were beaten by Atlanta United and Miami United.
The losses were not a big issue as they managed to start the season well. Wins over Queretaro and Cruz Azul helped them get things going, and they looked set to head back to the top of the table.
Things changed quickly as a 4-match winless streak followed, and they were in trouble. Mazatlan helped them to a 1-1 draw, while Pumas held them to a goalless draw.
Club Necaxa handed them their first loss of the season by beating them 2-0. Bryan Garnica and Milton Giménez scored the goals as the home side sealed a comfortable 2-0 win.
Guadalajara were also determined to keep Pachuca at bay and held them to a draw. The goalless draw saw the Clausura table toppers drop points again, and also saw them fail to score in three consecutive matches.
Pachuca managed to bounce back quickly by beating Tigres UANL 2-0 at home. Nicolás Ibáñez scored the brace in the game to help them collect three points and end their winless streak.
However, they could not carry the momentum into the next match and ended up losing 3-0 to Club America at home. Alejandro Zendejas, Jonathan Rodríguez and Henry Martín scored for the away side as Romario Ibarra got himself sent off for Pachuca in the first half.
Pachuca needed a big comeback to keep their hopes if they were to finish in the top 4. They edged out a 1-0 win over Club Leon and then followed it up with a win over Atlas. The 3-1 win saw them regain some confidence and that was enough for them to start believing in themselves.
Last week, they faced Toluca and managed a 4-1 win. They could not keep hold of the ball for long, but managed to get the win by taking 23 shots, of which 13 were on target.
Pachuca Team News
No player is injured or suspended for the upcoming game.
Santos Laguna had a good season in Apertura last year, but were unable to make it to the playoffs in Clausura. They finished 14th in the table and are now looking to get back into the knockout stages.
They were off to a good start this season with a 4-3 win over Monterrey. Brian Lozano scored the winner from the spot in the 91st minute of the game after Harold Preciado helped them level things up at 3-3 in the 85th minute. Rogelio Funes Mori and Rodrigo Aguirre scored in the opening 21 minute to hand Monterrey a 2-0 lead in the game, but Fernando Gorriarán and Félix Torres got the home side level before half time.
They could not carry the momentum from the late win into the next match and ended up losing 1-0 to Puebla. A 1-1 draw with Guadalajara followed, and that saw them struggling for points. Toluca made things worse by beating them 2-1 and leaving them with 4 points from as many games.
Santos Laguna did not let their heads drop and got a 1-0 win over Atlas in their next match. Juan Brunetta scored the lone goal of the game to help his side end the 3-match winless streak and get back to winning ways.
They managed to thrash Cruz Azul 4-0 in the next match but were once again beaten by Tigres UANL. The 2-0 loss saw them get a wakeup call and it worked wonders.
Santos Laguna have since gone on a 4-match winning streak to move up the table. The winning run started with a 2-1 win over Club Leon, and then a thrashing of Pumas UNAM away from home.
Club Tijuana were also beaten with ease by Santos Laguna, while Atletico de San Luis also stood no match.
Santos Laguna are now 3rd in the league table and know that a win this week can take them to the top of the table. They are just 2 points behind Monterrey, who have 24 points from 12 matches. Santos have a game in hand and that win would see them all but seal a playoff spot this season.
Santos Laguna Team News
Ayrton Preciado and Dória are still ruled out and are not expected back any time soon. No player is suspended, but Juan Brunetta will miss the next game if he gets booked.
Other Soccer Games Happening This Week
Liga MX: Toluca vs CD Guadalajara
Liga MX: Club América vs Tigres UANL
MLS: NY Red Bulls vs Philadelphia Union
Serie A: AC Milan vs Inter
La Liga: Sevilla vs Barcelona
La Liga: Real Madrid vs Real Betis
Bundesliga: Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich
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