Pachuca won 4-1 at Atlas on Saturday in Jornada 16 of the Liga MX Apertura 2026, moving provisionally into the Liguilla places with one matchday left.
Manuel Capasso scored an own goal in the fifth minute and then scored for Atlas in the second half. Oussama Idrissi, Salomon Rondon and Eduardo Bauermann scored for Pachuca.
Atlas had already secured a Liguilla place before kickoff, after the results on Friday, November 6. The defeat leaves them provisionally fourth, while Pachuca climb from 12th to provisionally seventh.
Result: Atlas 1-4 Pachuca
Goals: Atlas: Manuel Capasso 51′. Pachuca: Manuel Capasso 5′ (OG), Oussama Idrissi 12′, Salomon Rondon 75′ (pen.), Eduardo Bauermann 90+2′.
Competition: Liga MX Apertura 2026, Jornada 16
Venue: Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara
Atlas vs Pachuca Match Recap
Pachuca took the lead in the fifth minute. Idrissi crossed from the left, and Capasso turned the ball into his own net while trying to cut it out.
The second goal came in the 12th minute. Rondon returned a pass to Idrissi inside the area, and Idrissi finished with a right-footed shot across goal.
Atlas pushed for a reply before halftime. Adonis Frias forced a save from Carlos Moreno, and Kevin Zenon tested Moreno again in added time.
Camilo Vargas also had work at the other end. He saved from Idrissi in the first half, and Rondon headed over the bar shortly before the break.
Atlas made two changes at halftime. Ryan Mmaee replaced Milton Valenzuela, and Jose Rivaldo Lozano replaced Aldo Rocha.
The home side pulled a goal back in the 51st minute. Capasso scored from the center of the area after a corner, and the goal was confirmed after a VAR review.
Pachuca changed the game again from the bench in the 61st minute. Robert Kenedy replaced Alan Bautista, and Sebastian Santos also entered the match.
Atlas had a chance to level in the 67th minute. Mmaee shot over the bar from a Sergio Hernandez cross.
The decisive goal came from a penalty. Juan Purata fouled Eduardo Bauermann inside the area in the 73rd minute, and Rondon converted the penalty in the 75th minute.
Atlas finished with ten players. Frias was sent off in the 83rd minute after a VAR review, for a foul on Kenedy.
Bauermann completed the scoring in the second minute of added time. He finished from close range after a Kenedy cross following a corner.
The win is Pachuca’s third in a row in the league, after victories over Club America and Tigres UANL. See FutnSoccer’s recap of Pachuca’s 3-0 win over Tigres UANL in Jornada 15.
Match Stats
| Stat | Atlas | Pachuca |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 55% | 45% |
| Shots | 10 | 14 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 7 |
| Corners | 7 | 5 |
| Saves | 4 | 3 |
| Fouls | 12 | 14 |
Match data: Sportradar.
Starting Lineups
Atlas: Camilo Vargas; Manuel Capasso, Adonis Frias, Juan Purata, Milton Valenzuela; Aldo Rocha, Elias Montiel; Kevin Zenon, Luis Esteves; Florian Monzon, Sergio Hernandez.
Pachuca: Carlos Moreno; Jorge Berlanga, Eduardo Bauermann, Sergio Barreto, Francisco Venegas; Christian Rivera, Alan Bautista, Rodolfo Pizarro; Nicolas Vallejo, Oussama Idrissi, Salomon Rondon.
Three Takeaways From Atlas vs Pachuca
1. Rondon reached 16 goals and set up another
Rondon assisted Idrissi for the second goal in the 12th minute. He then converted the penalty in the 75th minute that restored Pachuca’s two-goal lead.
The penalty was his 16th league goal of the Apertura 2026. He began the match as the tournament scoring leader on 15 goals, and he leaves Guadalajara one goal further ahead.
2. Pachuca’s goal difference is now a real advantage
Pachuca climbed from 12th to provisionally seventh, on 22 points from 16 matches. They are level on points with Tijuana and Leon.
Their goal difference of plus nine is the best of the three clubs on 22 points. Tijuana stand at plus three and Leon at plus two, so Pachuca hold the tiebreak edge for now.
3. Atlas lost the match but not their Liguilla place
Atlas remain provisionally fourth on 27 points from 16 matches. Their place in the quarterfinals was already secured before kickoff, after Friday’s results.
The cost is seeding and form at home. Atlas finished with ten players after the Frias red card, and their goal difference fell to minus three. Read FutnSoccer’s recap of Atlas’s 1-0 win at Atletico San Luis for their previous match.
What the Result Means
Atlas stay provisionally fourth with 27 points, from eight wins, three draws and five defeats. America, Chivas de Guadalajara and Cruz Azul, the three clubs above them, each have 29 points.
Pachuca move provisionally to seventh with 22 points, from six wins, four draws and six defeats. They have won three league matches in a row.
Jornada 16 is not complete. More matches are scheduled on Saturday night and on Sunday, so both positions are provisional until the jornada settles.
The top eight advance directly to the Liguilla quarterfinals in the Apertura 2026, with no Play-In. Pachuca have not yet secured a place, and Atlas have already secured theirs.
Pachuca can reach a maximum of 25 points. Monterrey, one of the clubs behind them, have matches in hand, so the final place will be decided in Jornada 17. For the full fixture list, see the Liga MX schedule page.
What Comes Next
Atlas close the regular season away at FC Juarez on Friday, November 20, 2026, at Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez. Kickoff is 9:00 PM CT (10:00 PM ET).
Pachuca finish at home against Toluca on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Estadio Hidalgo. Kickoff is 5:00 PM CT (6:00 PM ET).
Both matches follow the November international break. See the Liga MX viewing hub for how to watch the final jornada in the United States.
