Cruz Azul Defeats Pachuca 2-1 to Climb to Second Place

Cruz Azul secured a vital 2-1 victory against Pachuca at Estadio Hidalgo on Wednesday night during Matchday 13 of the Liga MX Apertura 2026 tournament. With this hard-fought away win, La Máquina climbed to second place in the standings with 23 points, while Pachuca remained stuck at 13 points.

The visitors opened the scoring early when Gabriel "Toro" Fernández found the back of the net in the 13th minute. However, Pachuca responded quickly, with Francisco Venegas equalizing for the hosts in the 20th minute of the first half.

The decisive moment arrived in the second half following a defensive error by the Tuzos that resulted in a penalty kick. Andrés Montaño converted the spot-kick in the 79th minute, securing the three points for Cruz Azul as the regular season enters its final stretch.

Entering the match, Cruz Azul had to cope with significant absences in their lineup. Regular starters Willer Ditta and José Paradela did not travel with the squad. Ditta was sidelined due to a contusion affecting his balance and focus, while Paradela continued his recovery from a muscular injury.

In the absence of several key players, the coaching staff opted for squad rotation, notably starting Andrés Gudiño in goal over Kevin Mier for the second consecutive match. Assistant coach Joel Huiqui explained that the decision reflected the coaching staff's confidence in both goalkeepers.

"Today I consider and what I proposed for these two games was that Andrés should also play, because he has the capacity to do it, just as Kevin can do it without a problem," Huiqui stated following the match regarding the choice in the net.

Huiqui emphasized that the competition for the starting goalkeeper position remains fully open as the team pursues its qualification goals. He stressed that collective commitment and team objectives must always take precedence over individual milestones during the decisive phase of the championship.