- Santos Laguna are rock-bottom in the Liga MX Clausura 2026 table in 18th place with only nine points (-16 goal difference) from 13 games.
- Pachuca are unbeaten in their last five Clausura 2026 league games, with three wins and two draws.
- Pachuca are favored by the bookmakers at 1.4 to win against long shots Santos Laguna, who are 6.75.
Pachuca are playing better football and have the firepower to take the game to Santos
Pachuca CF have been playing some excellent attacking soccer since the new year under Esteban Solari, whose running the rule over them will continue on Sunday despite a suspension which prevents him from taking charge on the touchline. Solari was sent off in the 1-2 win at Cruz Azul, which was a remarkable result secured by a Kenedy double. Pachuca’s assistant will be in charge on the sidelines, but midfielder Christian Rivera is also suspended.
Pachuca have a well-balanced team which plays a high-tempo, direct 4-2-3-1 with a coordinated press and lightning counter-attack when they win the ball back. Solari’s men use the width of the field brilliantly, especially with Kenedy’s pace and trickery on the left-hand side. Oussama Idrissi and Víctor Guzmán are the two creative engines for the side and they often have enough quality in their play to unlock defences and serve up chances for their strikers. For our Pachuca CF vs Santos Laguna Mexico prediction, the creativity and flair from these two could be decisive in breaking through the Santos defense.
Salomón Rondón has been Pachuca’s main goal threat this Clausura, but he is as much a targetman as a finisher and his ability to hold the ball up has helped Pachuca establish their top four position. They have home field advantage for this contest and their home record at Estadio Hidalgo this campaign remains unbeaten.
Santos Laguna look to be in trouble
Santos Laguna will be playing under interim boss Omar Tapia once more this weekend after Francisco Rodríguez was dismissed mid-season. The interim boss has steadied the ship somewhat, but the results have been mixed, at best. 2 Wins, 1 Draw and 2 Losses from their last five games are nothing to write home about when you sit at the bottom of the table and need to be on a winning streak to have any chance of keeping a fading playoff dream alive.
This Pachuca CF vs Santos Laguna Mexico preview highlights that while both teams employ a direct style and high pressing, the quality of their execution is not even close to the standard of the home team. They press hard and stretch the field with their full-backs and wide men. In Eduardo Aguirre, they have one of the few shining lights in an otherwise struggling side as he is a reliable outlet from deep.
Carlos Acevedo is the most important player on the pitch for Santos as he is a very good goalkeeper and will have to be on his game to keep Pachuca’s powerful forward line out of the net. In the end, Pachuca’s superior quality, home field advantage and form mean that, according to this Pachuca CF vs Santos Laguna Mexico prediction, the favorites should win this game with relative ease.
Back the home side to outscore Santos
With an attacking game-plan, Pachuca are a match for any team in Mexico and should be able to take Santos apart in a game where both clubs like to play at pace. According to our Pachuca CF vs Santos Laguna Mexico prediction, the visitors are leaky at the back, conceding 31 goals and scoring only 15 at the other end of the pitch. The cool, possibly damp conditions on Sunday will make the surface heavier and that could also favour Pachuca’s physical, direct style of play. The odds are heavily on the favourites, but we feel there is a little bit of room to squeeze a few more dollars out of the match by checking out some Pachuca CF vs Santos Laguna Mexico betting tips, especially by betting on the Over 2.5 game goals at 1.44.
