Pachuca Edges Pumas 1-0 in Liga MX Clausura 2026 Semifinal First Leg

 Oussama Idrissi's first-half strike gives the Tuzos a crucial home advantage heading into the second leg in Mexico City.

PACHUCA, MEXICO — CF Pachuca secured a narrow but crucial 1-0 victory over Pumas UNAM in the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura 2026 semifinals on Wednesday night at Estadio Hidalgo. The decisive goal came from Oussama Idrissi in the 37th minute, with Eduardo Gabriel adding a stoppage-time effort deep into added time. ESPN

Match Summary

The first leg of the Liga MX Clausura 2026 semifinal kicked off at Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca, Mexico, with both teams battling for possession in the early stages. Neither side dominated early on, with the contest being fought out largely in midfield. VAVEL USA

Pumas nearly broke the deadlock first, but the play was ruled offside — their first clear scoring opportunity of the match. Pachuca then took the initiative and were rewarded just before halftime. VAVEL USA

The stat sheet told the story of Pachuca's dominance: the Tuzos outshot Pumas 16 to 5 in total attempts and held a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal, while also winning the corner kick battle 9 to 1. Pumas, meanwhile, earned three yellow cards compared to none for Pachuca. ESPN

In the second half, Pachuca maintained control of the game, giving little room for Pumas to find an equalizer. The visitors searched desperately for a goal but the home side defended their lead with composure, ultimately seeing out the victory. VAVEL USA

What's at Stake in the Second Leg

Because Pumas finished as the No. 1 seed in the regular season, they own the tiebreaker advantage if the aggregate score ends level after both matches. That means Pachuca must win or earn a strong result in Mexico City to advance. Bolavip

There is notable recent history between the two sides — Pumas beat Pachuca 2-0 on the final matchday of the regular season, proving they can get results at Estadio Hidalgo. Bolavip

The second leg is set to take place at Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City, where Pumas will need at least a win to keep their hopes of reaching the 2026 Grand Final alive.

Key Stats

Stat	Pachuca	Pumas
Goals	1	0
Shots on Goal	4	1
Total Shots	16	5
Corner Kicks	9	1
Yellow Cards	0	3
Saves	1	3

Lineups

Pumas Starting XI: Keylor Navas, Angel Azuaje, Jonathan Flores, Pablo Bennevendo, José Caicedo, Santiago Trigos, Robert Ergas, Pablo Alfonso Monroy, Ignacio Pussetto, Piero Quispe, and Adalberto Carrasquilla. VAVEL USA

Pachuca Starting XI: Moreno; García, Barreto, Eduardo Gabriel, Sánchez; Guzmán, Rivera; Idrissi, Montiel, Kenedy; Valencia. ESPN

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Tags: #LigaMX #Clausura2026 #Pachuca #PumasUNAM #LigaBBVAMX #Semifinal #MexicanFootball #Futbol