Cruz Azul beat Pachuca 2-1 at Estadio Hidalgo on Wednesday night, settling the Jornada 13 Clasico Hidalguense with a late Andrés Montaño penalty.
Gabriel Fernández put Cruz Azul ahead in the 13th minute, and Francisco Venegas leveled seven minutes later. It stayed 1-1 until the 75th minute, when Pedro Budib fouled Fernández in the area and Montaño converted the penalty.
Salomón Rondón then had an 86th-minute equalizer disallowed for offside after a VAR review. The win moves Cruz Azul to 23 points from 13 matches and up to third place, while Pachuca stay 16th on 13 points, still without a home win this tournament.
Quick Match Summary
Result: Pachuca 1-2 Cruz Azul
Goal scorers: Pachuca: Francisco Venegas 20′. Cruz Azul: Gabriel Fernández 13′, Andrés Montaño 79′ (pen.).
Venue: Estadio Hidalgo
Competition: Liga MX Apertura 2026, Jornada 13
Pachuca vs Cruz Azul Match Recap
Cruz Azul struck first in the 13th minute. Alan Mozo crossed after a free kick, and Gabriel Fernández finished low with his right foot from the center of the area.
Pachuca answered in the 20th minute. Rodolfo Pizarro set up Francisco Venegas, whose left-footed finish from the center of the area made it 1-1.
Eduardo Bauermann, Carlos Rodríguez and Oussama Idrissi were all booked in a first half that finished level. Cruz Azul threatened first after the break, Moreno saving at close range from Agustín Palavecino in the 47th minute.
Luka Romero and Rogelio González entered for Cruz Azul in the 61st minute, and Gael Álvarez and Adrián Alcaraz answered for Pachuca.
Cruz Azul then introduced Carlos Rotondi, back from injury, and Andrés Montaño in the 70th minute. Four minutes later, Moreno’s long pass sent Salomón Rondón through on goal, and Andrés Gudiño saved the one-on-one effort.
The winner came at the other end. Budib fouled Fernández inside the area in the 75th minute and was booked. Montaño, on for nine minutes, sent the penalty low to the left in the 79th minute.
Pachuca pushed for a second equalizer. Alcaraz headed just wide in the 83rd minute, and Rondón’s 86th-minute finish was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.
Robert Kenedy, who scored both Pachuca goals when the clubs met in April, returned as a late substitute alongside Cristóbal Hernández, but the equalizer never came.
Montaño nearly added a third in the first minute of stoppage time, hitting the left post, and Gudiño saved again from Rondón at 90+5 minutes. There were no red cards, and eight yellow cards were shown, five of them to Pachuca.
The Pachuca vs Cruz Azul where-to-watch guide has the full U.S. TV and streaming details from this Jornada 13 fixture.
Match Stats
| Stat | Pachuca | Cruz Azul |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 42% | 58% |
| Shots | 12 | 8 |
| Shots on target | 6 | 3 |
| Corners | 0 | 8 |
| Saves | 1 | 5 |
Gudiño’s five saves came against six Pachuca shots on target; Cruz Azul scored from two of their three.
Starting Lineups
Pachuca
Starting XI: Carlos Moreno; Jorge Berlanga, Eduardo Bauermann, Pedro Budib, Francisco Venegas; Alan Bautista, Christian Rivera, Rodolfo Pizarro; Javier Nicolás Vallejo, Oussama Idrissi; Salomón Rondón.
Pachuca were without the suspended Sergio Barreto, who had played every match this season before tonight.
Cruz Azul
Starting XI: Andrés Gudiño; Alan Mozo, Amaury García, Gonzalo Piovi, Omar Campos; Jeremy Márquez, Érik Lira, Agustín Palavecino; Alan Montes, Carlos Rodríguez; Gabriel Fernández.
Willer Ditta and José Paradela did not travel with Cruz Azul. Rotondi returned to the squad after his injury absence.
Three Takeaways From Pachuca vs Cruz Azul
1. The Cruz Azul bench produced the winner
Joel Huiqui’s double change in the 70th minute sent on Rotondi, back from injury, and Montaño for Agustín Palavecino.
Nine minutes later, Montaño converted the winning penalty. He nearly scored again in stoppage time, hitting the post.
Cruz Azul have back-to-back wins, after the 5-0 victory over FC Juarez in Jornada 12 ended a three-match winless run.
2. Gudiño made the difference at the other end
Pachuca finished with more shots and twice as many on target as Cruz Azul, 12 and six against eight and three, and scored once.
Gudiño made five saves, the biggest in the 74th minute, when he denied Rondón one on one at 1-1, moments before the penalty at the other end.
Rondón took four shots, three of them on target. The only finish that beat Gudiño was the one VAR disallowed.
3. Pachuca keep losing by a single goal
Pachuca are five matches without a win and still without a home victory this tournament: three draws and three defeats at Estadio Hidalgo.
All six of their league defeats this season have come by a single goal. Tonight followed the pattern: a one-on-one saved at 1-1, a penalty conceded moments later, and an equalizer ruled out for offside.
Rondón stays on 13 league goals, the highest total in the tournament, but none came tonight and Pachuca’s margin for error is nearly gone.
What the Result Means
Cruz Azul reach 23 points from 13 matches and climb to third place, level on points with second-place Chivas de Guadalajara but behind on goal difference, and four points behind leaders Club America, who hold a game in hand.
The top eight advance directly to the Liguilla quarterfinals in the Apertura 2026, with no Play-In round. Cruz Azul sit three points clear of eighth place with four matches left to play.
Pachuca stay on 13 points from 13 matches in 16th place. They are seven points behind eighth-place Queretaro, who also hold a game in hand, and their next match takes them to the league leaders.
Watch: Pachuca vs Cruz Azul Highlights
Watch the official Pachuca vs Cruz Azul highlights below, including all three goals and the disallowed equalizer from Estadio Hidalgo.
What Comes Next
Pachuca travel to face Club America on Sunday, October 25 at Estadio Banorte. Kickoff is at 19:05 Mexico Central time (20:05 CT / 21:05 ET).
Cruz Azul are also on the road on Sunday, October 25, visiting Queretaro at Estadio La Corregidora. Kickoff is at 19:00 Mexico Central time (20:00 CT / 21:00 ET).
Follow every remaining Apertura 2026 fixture in the Liga MX viewing guide and the full Liga MX TV schedule.
