Monterrey beat Pachuca 2-1 at Estadio BBVA on Sunday, October 18, 2026, in Jornada 12 of Liga MX Apertura 2026. Two goals in the opening 16 minutes decided the match and moved Monterrey into eighth place, the last direct Liguilla position.
Result: Monterrey 2-1 Pachuca
Goals: Monterrey: Diego Rossi 13′, Jesús Corona 16′. Pachuca: Salomón Rondón 75′.
Competition: Liga MX Apertura 2026, Jornada 12
Venue: Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe
Monterrey vs Pachuca Match Recap
Monterrey were awarded a penalty in the 12th minute for a foul by Jorge Berlanga inside the area. Lucas Ocampos took the penalty in the 13th minute.
Carlos Moreno saved the penalty from Ocampos. Diego Rossi scored from the rebound in the same sequence to give Monterrey a 1-0 lead.
Monterrey doubled the lead three minutes later. Jesús Corona scored with his right foot in the 16th minute, with an assist from Lucas Ocampos, at the end of a counterattack.
The score was 2-0 at halftime. Lucas Ocampos was booked in the 22nd minute, the only yellow card shown before the break.
Pachuca reduced the deficit in the 75th minute. Salomón Rondón scored with a header, from a Jorge Berlanga cross after a corner, to make the score 2-1.
Pachuca had a late equalizer ruled out for offside.
Rodolfo Pizarro was booked for Pachuca in the 56th minute. Sergio Barreto was booked in the 84th minute, and Carlos Moreno and Gerardo Arteaga were both booked in the 85th minute.
Oliver Torres was booked in the 88th minute. There were no red cards in the match, and the final score was Monterrey 2-1 Pachuca.
Monterrey made five substitutions. Luca Orellano replaced Ocampos in the 71st minute, and Oliver Torres replaced Rossi in the 72nd minute.
Stefan Medina replaced Corona in the 78th minute, and Tamez replaced Ricardo Chávez in the same minute. Jorge Rodríguez replaced César Garza in the 89th minute.
Orellano and Medina had both been pre-match injury doubts. Both returned as substitutes in this match.
Pachuca made four substitutions. Cristobal Hernández replaced Mauricio Isais in the 63rd minute, and Gael Álvarez replaced Vallejo in the 81st minute.
Illian Hernández replaced Pizarro in the 87th minute. Sebastian Santos replaced Berlanga in the 88th minute.
Match Stats
| Stat | Monterrey | Pachuca |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 54% | 46% |
| Shots | 9 | 11 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 4 |
| Corners | 3 | 8 |
| Fouls | 8 | 15 |
Source: Sportradar match data
Starting Lineups
Monterrey: Esteban Andrada; Ricardo Chávez, Carlos Salcedo, Víctor Guzmán, Gerardo Arteaga; César Garza, Orbelín Pineda, Jesús Corona, Diego Rossi, Lucas Ocampos; Hugo Cuypers.
Pachuca: Carlos Moreno; Jorge Berlanga, Eduardo Bauermann, Sergio Barreto, Mauricio Isais; Alan Bautista, Christian Rivera, Rodolfo Pizarro, Javier Nicolas Vallejo, Oussama Idrissi; Salomón Rondón.
Monterrey substitutions:
- Luca Orellano for Lucas Ocampos, 71′
- Oliver Torres for Diego Rossi, 72′
- Stefan Medina for Jesús Corona, 78′
- Tamez for Ricardo Chávez, 78′
- Jorge Rodríguez for César Garza, 89′
Pachuca substitutions:
- Cristobal Hernández for Mauricio Isais, 63′
- Gael Álvarez for Javier Nicolas Vallejo, 81′
- Illian Hernández for Rodolfo Pizarro, 87′
- Sebastian Santos for Jorge Berlanga, 88′
Three Takeaways From Monterrey vs Pachuca
1. Monterrey End the Pachuca Run and Move Into the Top Eight
Pachuca had won the last four meetings between the clubs before Sunday. Those wins came in April 2026, July 2025, April 2025 and January 2025.
This was Monterrey’s first win over Pachuca since July 7, 2024. The result also moved Monterrey up to eighth place in the table.
Monterrey entered the match with one win in their previous six league matches. This win was their second victory in that extended sequence.
2. Salomón Rondón Cannot Carry Pachuca Alone
Rondón scored Pachuca’s goal in the 75th minute. He now has 13 league goals in Apertura 2026.
Rondón remains the tournament’s top scorer. He is five goals clear of Juninho, who has eight goals.
Pachuca are now winless in four league matches, with two draws and two defeats in that sequence. They remain in 14th place on 13 points.
3. The Fast Start Decided the Match
Monterrey scored twice by the 16th minute. The first goal came from the rebound after a saved penalty, and the second came from a counterattack.
Pachuca produced more shots than Monterrey, 11 to nine. Pachuca also had more corners, eight to three, and more shots on target, four to three.
Those numbers did not change the result. Monterrey’s two early goals held up, with Orellano and Medina returning from injury doubts as second half substitutes.
What the Result Means
Monterrey move up to eighth place with 17 points from 11 matches played. Eighth place is the last direct Liguilla place in Apertura 2026, and there is no Play-In in this tournament.
Monterrey are one point clear of ninth place Santos Laguna, who have 16 points. Jornada 12 is now complete, so these positions are final for the jornada.
Monterrey still have a game in hand. Their rearranged Jornada 7 match at Queretaro is scheduled for November 14, 2026.
Pachuca stay in 14th place with 13 points from 12 matches played. They are four points behind eighth place and the direct Liguilla cutoff.
Sergio Barreto entered the match on four yellow cards. His booking in this match was his fifth, so he is suspended for Pachuca’s Jornada 13 match.
Readers can follow the remaining schedule on the Liga MX viewing hub.
Watch: Monterrey vs Pachuca Highlights
Watch the goals and the best of the action from Estadio BBVA in the official TUDN highlights.
What Comes Next
Monterrey play away at Puebla on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in Jornada 13. Kickoff is at 19:00 Mexico Central at Estadio Cuauhtemoc.
Pachuca play at home against Cruz Azul on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in Jornada 13. Kickoff is at 21:00 Mexico Central at Estadio Hidalgo.
Viewing information for both matches is listed on the Liga MX schedule page. The viewing guide for this fixture is the Monterrey vs Pachuca where to watch article.
More Liga MX coverage is available through the Liga MX hub.
