Pachuca vs Cruz Azul: Predictions, Picks, Odds & Lineups

Pachuca host Cruz Azul at Estadio Hidalgo on Wednesday, October 21 (11:00 PM ET / 10:00 PM CT / 8:00 PM PT).

Pachuca have no injury concerns flagged for this one, and that means Jose Salomon Rondon Gimenez — already up to 12 goals this season — leads the line as usual, flanked by Oussama Idrissi and Alan Bautista pulling the attacking midfield strings behind him. Cruz Azul come into Estadio Hidalgo with a clean bill of health too, so Gabriel Fernandez Leites leads the line up top, with Nicolas Ibanez and Jose Antonio Paradela supplying the attacking midfield threat behind him after a five-assist season from Paradela so far.

Both sides have shown they can trade blows this month — Pachuca drew 3-3 with Necaxa and Cruz Azul drew 3-3 at Pumas UNAM in their last outings — and neither defense looks settled enough to keep a clean sheet here. Expect end-to-end goals at Estadio Hidalgo, with Pachuca’s home advantage and Rondon’s finishing offering the difference between two closely matched Liga MX sides this Apertura.

US viewers can watch Pachuca vs Cruz Azul on ViX, TUDN or Fox.

Season Form & Standings

League position isn’t the story here; both sides have blown hot and cold through the Apertura so far, and this one looks set to continue that trend.

Liga MX

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Potential Match-Winners

• Jose Salomon Rondon Gimenez (Pachuca): Rondon has 12 goals this season from 45 shots, with 16 landing on target — the clearest individual goal threat on either side.
• Nicolas Alejandro Ibanez (Cruz Azul): Ibanez, Cruz Azul’s attacking midfielder, has 4 goals and 2 assists, putting 16 of his 29 shots on target to make him their most direct outlet from midfield.
• Jose Antonio Paradela (Cruz Azul): Paradela has created 24 chances and added 5 assists, the engine behind most of Cruz Azul’s attacking moves.

Recent Form

Pachuca: W W D L D

• 2026-10-11: Pachuca 3-3 Necaxa (D, home)
• 2026-09-26: Santos Laguna 1-0 Pachuca (L, away)
• 2026-09-20: Pachuca 2-2 Club Tijuana (D, home)
• 2026-09-11: Atlante FC 0-3 Pachuca (W, away)
• 2026-09-04: FC Juarez 0-2 Pachuca (W, away)

Pachuca’s last 5 reads W W D L D: wins at Juarez (2-0) and Atlante (3-0), a 2-2 home draw with Tijuana, a 1-0 loss at Santos Laguna, and a 3-3 draw with Necaxa last time out.

Cruz Azul: W W L D D

• 2026-10-11: Pumas UNAM 3-3 Cruz Azul (D, away)
• 2026-09-26: Cruz Azul 3-3 Toluca (D, home)
• 2026-09-19: Monterrey 1-0 Cruz Azul (L, away)
• 2026-09-12: Cruz Azul 4-3 Club America (W, home)
• 2026-09-06: Cruz Azul 1-0 Santos Laguna (W, home)

Cruz Azul’s last 5 reads W W L D D: wins over Santos Laguna (1-0) and America (4-3), a 1-0 loss at Monterrey, a 3-3 home draw with Toluca, and a 3-3 draw at Pumas UNAM most recently.

Pachuca vs Cruz Azul Prediction

Signal’s model has this finishing 2-1 to Pachuca, and the numbers back it: Rondon already has 12 goals this season, and both sides have put 3 past opponents as recently as their last outings (Pachuca 3-3 with Necaxa, Cruz Azul 3-3 at Pumas UNAM). Expect Pachuca’s home advantage and Rondon’s finishing to be the difference in a game that should produce goals at both ends.