- Pachuca have won 3 of their last 4 home Clausura matches.
- Toluca have won away at Pumas and Juárez as part of an excellent run in the Clausura.
Pachuca vs Toluca - the pick of Clausura’s Sunday fixtures
The home of Pachuca is the setting for the pick of Sunday’s Liga MX games as Toluca make the long trip northeast to face Los Tuzos at Estadio Hidalgo. The teams are separated by 4 points and 4 positions in the Clausura table so a Toluca win would keep them in the top 2-4 of the table and in the title race, while Pachuca can close the gap on the leaders and strengthen their chances of securing a quarterfinal place with a home victory.
The visitors will be going in as slight favourites for this game at around 1.9 but Pachuca have good reason to be hopeful at odds of 3.65 and the draw looks a viable option at 3.7 too. Pachuca are flying at home with Salomón Rondón bagging the goals and Esteban Solari’s 4-2-3-1 system offering plenty of support from the wide players and creative midfielders.
Toluca are the team in form
However, Toluca are the side that has been in the better form over the past month and have the squad depth and solid tactical plan to sustain it, whereas Pachuca’s home form has been built on their consistency at Estadio Hidalgo. Toluca are a team to beat in Liga MX right now after Antonio Mohamed led his side to recent championships during his reign as coach.
El Turco Mohamed’s pragmatic tactical plan has been executed to perfection by his players, particularly in the second halves of games when Toluca have made a habit of controlling the tempo and space behind the opposition defence. Pachuca are more proactive in their approach, preferring to control the ball and press their opponents high up the field.
Tuzos have the firepower to hit the Toluca defense
This will be a fascinating chess battle in the middle of the pitch and on the transitions as Pachuca will always try to win the ball back as soon as they lose it. Toluca are very comfortable in a mid-block, absorbing pressure with their two banks of 4 players before switching to a lethal counterattack, led by Paulinho, who has hit the net regularly this Clausura.
Toluca’s counterattacking prowess and ability to change the tempo of a game make them the team to trust most in this game, which will be played in ideal conditions with comfortable temperatures and a good pitch. However, Pachuca’s solid record at home means they can win this one at 3.65 with the home crowd behind them.
Both teams to score - Yes is a 1.62 favourite for this Liga MX meeting, but we’re taking Over 2.5 goals at 1.7 because Toluca will have to push for a winner at some stage of the game and Pachuca will get their chances, especially for Rondón to strike.
