Pachuca bounced back from giving up an early goal to end up with a 1-1 tie against Chivas. In a lively match, Chivas and Pachuca exchanged dominance per half with the visiting side being overly superior in the first half while Pachuca was the better team in the 2nd. Both teams will have matches on the road next week as Pachuca travels north to face off against FC Juarez while Chivas also travels north to face off against Atletico San Luis.
The 1st half started in a stadium where although they were the away team, their was a majority of Chivas' fans in the stands. Hugo Camberos would make a great run in which he would get past Carlos Sanchez and get off a cross that went past Pachuca's goalkeeper, Carlos Moreno and found a wide open Roberto Alvarado, who had a tap in shot into the empty net to score and give Chivas the early 1-0 lead. Efrain Alvarez would get the ball in the area and lobbed a shot over Moreno but defender Sergio Barreto would make a fantastic play by clearing the ball off the line with a header. On a possible 1 vs 1, Santiago Sandoval got into the area before Sanchez would get to it and clear the ball with a sliding tackle. After getting into the area Kenedy got off a left footed shot that was deflected wide. Sandoval got off a left footed shot from outside the area that went well wide. The game started to get very physical with a harsh foul on Ricardo Marin only earning a Yellow card to Cristian Rivera. A left footed shot in the area from Alvarez was deflected wide. Alvarez would again get the ball in the area but Moreno blocked the shot off his feet. In the area Sandoval got off a right footed shot that Moreno would save. The halftime whistle blew as Chivas took a deserved lead to the halftime break.
The 2nd half started with neither team making a change during the break. Francisco Venegas got off a great left footed shot from outside the area that forced a save from Chivas' goalkeeper, Raul Rangel. The clearance fell to Kenedy, whose volley in the area went well wide. Jorge Berlanga got off a right footed shot from outside the area that went wide. Chivas subbed out Efrain Alvarez for Brian Gutierrez. A right footed shot from Elias Montiel would be cleared by Pachuca's defense. Pachuca subbed out Alan Bautista for Rodolfo Pizarro. Chivas subbed out Hugo Camberos and Santiago Sandoval for Richard Ledezma and Jordan Carrillo. From just outside the area, Gutierrez got off a great right footed shot that forced a great save from Moreno. Pachuca subbed out Elias Montiel and Oussama Idrissi for Andres Arroyo and Nicolas Vallejo. From outside the area, Gutierrez got off a right footed shot that went wide. A cross into the area was headed by Salomon Rondon but Rangel made a fantastic save to stop the goal. Vallejo got into the area and was dropped by a foul from Miguel Gomez that earned Pachuca a Penalty Kick. Salomon Rondon stepped up to take the PK and got off a strong right footed shot past Rangel to score and tie the match at 1-1. Arroyo got off a right footed shot that was deflected into the hands of Rangel. Chivas subbed out Ricardo Marin and Omar Govea for Angel Sepulveda and Kevin Castañeda. Pachuca subbed out Kenedy for Adrian Alcaraz. A shot from outside the area from Vallejo would force a save from Rangel. Off a free kick, Carrillo got off a right footed shot that Moreno saved.
After crushing the surprising Xolos de Tijuana, Chivas' fan might not be pleased with a team that ended with a tie after taking the lead in the third minute of the match. Once again, after Chivas scored five against Tijuana, they returned to their constant of only scoring one goal per match in the Apertura 2026. While they had chances, especially in the 1st half, they failed to convert and in the 2nd half, it was Pachuca who was the better side. Chivas will need to improve on offense or it will not be enough with their "pretty but inefficient" offensive style. Pachuca bounced back with a good performance in what continues to be a disappointing 2026 Apertura. They have a great chance to pick it up as they travel north to face off against last placed FC Juarez while Chivas will also have a key opportunity to get a good away result against also struggling Atletico San Luis.
