Mexico's new Liga MX season continues early Sunday morning, with Pumas hosting Pachuca at home. Pachuca look slightly inferior on paper, and with the disadvantage of playing away, they face a difficult task in this match.
Pumas won the regular-season title last term, but were left disappointed after losing 1-2 on aggregate to Cruz Azul in the playoff final. They are determined to mount another title challenge this season. Considering they had the strongest attack in Liga MX last season, Pumas did not bring in a marquee striker during the offseason, while keeping key scorers such as Robert Morales and O. Jolinho. The arrival of Victor Adiga, who can play in midfield and defense, has also given the squad more balance at the back. In a pre-season friendly, Pumas cruised to a 3-0 win over Cancun FC, showing strong form ahead of the new campaign. Playing at home in the opening round, they will be targeting a winning start against Pachuca.
Pachuca finished only fourth in the regular season last season, with both their quality and overall performances slightly below Pumas. Looking at both ends of the pitch, they averaged just 1.47 goals scored and 1.12 conceded per game, numbers that fall short of Pumas' standards. Their attacking output was even lower away from home, dropping to 1.13 goals per match, which suggests they may struggle to break down the Pumas defense in this encounter. It is also worth noting that Pachuca were eliminated by Pumas in last season's playoffs, and they could carry a psychological burden into this game.