Pachuca Faces Necaxa in Crucial Liga MX Apertura 2026 Clash

Pachuca hosted Necaxa at Estadio Hidalgo on Sunday, October 11, in Jornada 11 of the Liga MX Apertura 2026, as both clubs sought to improve their positions in the standings. The Tuzos needed a home victory to strengthen their postseason hopes, while Necaxa entered the match looking to end an eight-game winless streak.

According to criteriohidalgo.com and heraldo.mx, kickoff was scheduled for approximately 5:10 p.m. local time, while SDPnoticias listed the start at 5:15 p.m. Maximiliano Quintero was appointed to officiate the match, which resumed the league schedule after the international break.

Pachuca occupied 12th place with 12 points, according to heraldo.mx. The team had collected just two points from its first four home matches, recording two losses and two draws, according to criteriohidalgo.com.

The Tuzos faced increasing pressure to collect points during the final stretch of the regular season. Criteriohidalgo.com reported that they needed to secure at least 61.9% of the remaining 21 points to maintain their pursuit of a place in the league's postseason playoffs.

Defensive improvement was another priority after Pachuca's recent visit to Santos, where the team became the first in the tournament not to register a shot on target, according to criteriohidalgo.com.

Despite the team's difficulties, striker Salomon Rondon remained the league's leading scorer with 10 goals, according to criteriohidalgo.com. His scoring record placed him in contention to surpass a benchmark that had stood for nearly 20 years in Liga MX.

Necaxa arrived in Hidalgo in 17th place with eight points, according to criteriohidalgo.com and heraldo.mx. After winning their opening two matches of the Apertura 2026, the Rayos went eight consecutive games without a victory, recording six defeats and two draws.

The international break gave coach Juan Reynoso an opportunity to work on stabilizing the team, while the players had time to rest before the difficult away fixture, heraldo.mx reported. Despite their low position, the Rayos retained a chance to reach the postseason, according to the outlet.

Recent head-to-head results favored Pachuca. Necaxa had lost five consecutive matches against the Tuzos, according to heraldo.mx, and their most recent victory over Pachuca came in July 2022 in Aguascalientes. Their last win at Estadio Hidalgo dated to November 2020.

The previous meeting between the teams at Estadio Hidalgo ended in a 2-1 Pachuca victory. Alexei Dominguez and Oussama Idrissi scored for the home side, while Javier Ruiz scored for Necaxa, according to criteriohidalgo.com.

SDPnoticias published the expected starting lineups ahead of the match. Pachuca's projected XI included goalkeeper Carlos Moreno, defenders Carlos Sanchez, Eduardo Bauermann, Sergio Barreto and Brian Garcia, midfielders Christian Rivera, Lenin Rodriguez and Alexei Dominguez, and forwards Oussama Idrissi, Kenedy and Salomon Rondon.

Necaxa's projected lineup featured goalkeeper Ezequiel Unsain, defenders Raul Martinez, Alexis Pena, Agustin Oliveros and Alejandro Mayorga, midfielders Danny Leyva, Lorenzo Faravelli and Franco Rossano, and forwards Ricardo Monreal, Tomas Badaloni and Kevin Rosero, according to SDPnoticias.