- Team form: Pumas UNAM finished top of the Clausura 2026 Liga MX regular season with 36 points and +17 goal difference.
- Opponents form: Pachuca CF finished fourth in the Clausura 2026 Liga MX with 31 points and +6 goal difference.
Top vs fourth in a classic Liga MX semi-final
A classic Liga MX semifinal awaits on Monday when top-placed Pumas UNAM take on fourth-placed Pachuca CF in a two-leg affair with the winner going through to the 2026 Clausura final. Pumas have the regular-season form and attacking depth to win through, while Pachuca’s Liguilla pedigree and momentum could make this a nail-biter.
Club legend Efraín Juárez has been doing a fantastic job at Pumas UNAM, fashioning a consistent and balanced side that finished top of the league with 36 points and a +17 goal difference. Pumas’ system has been based around an explosive high-pressing game and quick, vertical transitions while Juárez’s ability to switch formations and create width in attack has made them one of the most balanced sides in the Mexican top-flight.
Keylor Navas anchors a defence that was solid in the later stages of the regular campaign, while Robert Morales found his scoring boots to score key goals, including the winner against Pachuca in April.
Pumas are the pace setters
Key players
Salomón Rondón has been Pachuca’s most reliable source of goals throughout the campaign and Liguilla run, but Víctor Guzmán has been the heartbeat of the team in midfield, providing both goals and assists to feed Pachuca’s attacking players.
Esteban Solari has done an excellent job at Pachuca, blending youth development with some experienced finishers while maintaining the club’s identity of being a proactive attacking side.
Rotation attackers like Oussama Idrissi and Kenedy give Pachuca width and unpredictability while both have chipped in with goals and assists to keep the team ticking over.
Tactics and form
In Pachuca’s case, this has meant structured buildup, wing overloads and a solid 4-3-3 shape that can both press proactively and stay organised.
Pachuca have won three and lost two of their last five matches, including back-to-back quarter-final wins over Toluca that saw them through to this semi-final. Solari’s side beat Monterrey 3-1 away from home before claiming a 2-0 victory over Toluca at home to prove their playoff pedigree.
Free-flowing action expected
Backing Over 2.5 goals at 1.87 seems a solid move in this semi-final matchup as both teams have shown a willingness to attack and there is plenty of attacking quality on show. Pumas have scored multiple goals in four of their last five competitive matches.
- Pumas are the more likely victor in the series with their regular-season consistency, attacking depth and home advantage, but Pachuca’s Liguilla experience and recent momentum should see them avoid defeat in this first leg.
- Pumas are chalked up at 1.98 to win the game, while Pachuca are a bit of a bargain at 3.55 and the Draw is also available at 3.8.
