Two sides who began their Liga MX campaigns with defeats will face off on Sunday when Club Leon welcome Pachuca to Estadio Leon.
There have been 29 previous meetings between both teams, and the away side have dominated with 14 wins, including three in the last four.
Match preview
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Club Leon could not achieve the start they desired in the new Liga MX campaign, losing 4-1 to Pumas in gameweek one at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario on Friday.
Los Panzas Verdes fell behind early as Jorge Ruvalcaba found the net for Pumas in the 11th minute, before Luis Cervantes scored an own goal to put them further behind.
Alfonso Alvarado halved the deficit around the half-hour mark, but Leon could not complete the comeback, instead conceding two more goals in the final ten minutes of the game.
Jorge Bava took charge of the team in January but could not guide them to the Clausura playoffs, which makes starting the new season with a heavy defeat potentially increase pressure on the Uruguayan, who is expected to lead the team to their first league title since 2020.
Results against their next opponents have been evenly balanced whenever they host this fixture, with five wins apiece and four draws, while their last eight league home games have produced four wins and four draws.
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Like the hosts, Pachuca began their Liga MX campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Monterrey at Estadio Hidalgo on Monday, failing to find a response to Sergio Canales's 14th-minute goal.
Guillermo Almada's side, who last won the Apertura title in the 2022-23 season, failed to qualify for the playoffs last season, while they also crashed out of the Clausura in the quarter-final stage on account of seeding.
However, Los Tuzos won the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup last season, which helped mask the cracks of their domestic campaign, but the need for a better league showing this year will be even greater than the last.
Pachuca would have been high on confidence before the opening day loss, having won their last three previous matches across all competitions. However, the thought of another poor domestic campaign slipping away might have crept in and this could see them change their approach against Leon.
Team News
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Club Leon only have one player on the sidelines - forward Federico Vinas, who plundered 16 goals last season, is recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture.
Alvarado, who opened his scoring account for the season in Sunday's defeat to Pumas, is expected to spearhead the attack once again.
Stiven Barreiro and Paul Bellon formed the centre-back partnership and are likely to remain so despite conceding four goals, with Adonis Frias and Fidel Ambriz at the base of midfield.
Pachuca have a clean bill of health for this encounter, with key attacker Salomon Rondon, who netted 19 goals last season, now available after missing the opening game due to international duty with Venezuela at the Copa America.
Andres Micolta is also expected back in the side after representing Ecuador at the competition, while Luis Puente, who started as the centre-forward in the last game, risks losing his spot after being replaced by Sergio Aguayo early in the second half.
Club Leon possible starting lineup:
Blanco; Reyes, Barreiro, Bellon, Cervantes; Frias, Ambriz; Guerra, Medina, Hernandez; Alvarado
Pachuca possible starting lineup:
Moreno; L. Rodriguez, Cabral, Barreto, B. Gonzalez; Pedraza, Deossa; O. Gonzalez, Bautista, Idrissi; Puente
We say: Club Leon 0-1 Pachuca
The last six meetings between these sides have seen either team win, although Pachuca have won four of those encounters. Leon have struggled for consistency at home and there is no evidence that they have found stability, which could haunt them against the visitors who have been playing decently in their last few away games.
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