- Pumas UNAM have won five, drawn three and lost two of their last 10 fixtures in all competitions (W5, D3, L2)
- Pachuca CF have won six, drawn one and lost three of their last 10 matches in all competitions (W6, D1, L3)
- Pumas UNAM have won one, drawn one and lost one of their last three home fixtures in all competitions (W1, D1, L1).
Pumas can prove a handful for Pachuca
The odds of 63/50 for the home side to beat Pachuca CF on Saturday evening should be a bit shorter than they are and the visitors' price of 199/100 is definitely too big. The draw at 119/50 looks overpriced too, but then again so does the Over 2.5 at 79/100 and Both Teams to Score at 31/50, which we feel will land.
This is not a clash for the faint-hearted as, although it is the home team that is the favourite, there's enough in the stats and the head-to-heads to think Pachuca can upset the odds and that this game will be a fine contest. Pumas UNAM coach Jesus Ramirez, who has been in charge since 3rd May 2019, has had plenty of time to stamp his identity on the side and the club have played some good footy as a result.
They are a side who like to transition, use their attacking full-backs to play in behind and press the ball. Pachuca CF are the polar opposite, preferring to play wide, use overlapping movement, and have more structured phases of possession, which means they can stretch Pumas UNAM if they sit too deep.
Expect an end-to-end affair at Olimpico Universitario
Pumas UNAM score 2.40 and concede 1.60 goals per game at home across all competitions, which tells us that the stats should favour goals at both ends of the field. Solari's side are a vertical, high-pressing unit that will aim to disrupt the flow of the game and hit their opponents on the turn with the ball.
The last two games these clubs have played were a 1-0 home win for Pumas UNAM against Pachuca CF and a 2-1 home defeat to Cruz Azul. So the hosts can be a grindy side, but also one that is susceptible to the odd late goal against them, whereas Pachuca CF can win, but are not impenetrable.
The last five head-to-heads between these clubs at Olimpico Universitario have seen Pumas UNAM average 1.5 goals and Pachuca CF 1.5 goals per match. So this game has historically been about two similar clubs trading blows, but it looks like a similar story is likely on Saturday.
Stick with Solari’s men to snatch a result
Pumas UNAM have wobbled a little in their most recent five, winning one, drawing two and losing two, so the momentum that they had been building throughout the campaign has been slightly lost. Pachuca CF have won three and lost two of their last five, so they've had a better run of form and will travel to Mexico in a confident mood.
A 1-0 win at home against Pachuca CF in Liga MX 2025/2026 was the first of Pumas' last two head-to-heads with their guests this weekend, so the psychological edge is theirs. However, they have only won one of the pairings so far, with Pachuca taking the other in the same manner, so neither side has had it all their own way in this fixture.
Jordan Carrillo has been the spark for Pumas UNAM with three goals in the current five-game sequence, whereas Enner Valencia has been the danger-man for Pachuca with two strikes in the same period. He will be a threat again this weekend, but the value is in backing Pumas to nick a victory.
