Club América and Cruz Azul await the playoffs as the two best players in the Clausura regular season. Pachuca, Pumas, Necaxa and Querétaro are competing for a chance to face either team.
This Thursday, May 2, at 9:00 p.m. CST, Pachuca and Pumas will face off, with the 7th seed being the issue. The immediate advantage of this confrontation is in favor of the Pumas, as the Mexico have almost a whole week to rest and prepare for this match, while their rival, Pachuca, will have less than 48 hours. This was due to their 2-1 CONCACAF Champions League semi-final victory over Club America, two days before Tuesday, April 30.
The match was organized on Thursday evening, in accordance with the Necaxa – Queretaro match, but Pachuca requested an extension of the day, given the busy schedule of the Hidalgo team, although it seems that the request was refused, with the match still scheduled for Thursday. , reports ESPN.
The loser of this game will have one last chance to qualify for the playoffs, this time as the 8th seed. As the rules are set, the loser between Pachuca and Pumas will face the winner of Necaxa and Querétaro for the chance to face Club America in the first round of the playoffs proper.
The two teams faced each other last January. A match which set the tone for the Pumas’ good start to the season, winning the match with a score of 3-1. What we can remember from the match are the three goals scored in four minutes as the Pumas took a 2-1 advantage in the first 20 minutes. Goals from Ulises Rivas and former Benfica winger Eduardo Salvio put the Pumas three points before Salvio grabbed his second of the match.
If the previous match between these two favored the Pumas, it is important to take into account their away record. In the clause, The universities won only one away match, in a 4–0 victory against Mazatlán. Beyond that, their last road win was a 4-1 win over Cruz Azul in October 2023.
Team News
As for team news, Pumas defender Jesus Rivas is doubtful for the match. Unavailable since the beginning of March, Rivas is nursing an ankle injury.
Pachuca still has some concerns within his squad as Celso Ortiz is doubtful due to a knee injury he suffered in January, while former Celta Vigo central defender Gustavo Cabral was injured in the CONCACAF Champions League first leg match with Club America. and this remains a doubt both for the return match against America and for the elimination match against the Pumas. The only permanent absentee for this match will be Israel Luna, the 22-year-old suffered a cruciate ligament injury and is expected to be out for the rest of 2024.
In the other match it will be the one that eliminates Necaxa or Querétaro from the playoffs. A clash that does not automatically qualify the winner but gives them a chance to face the loser between Pachuca and Pumas to reach the playoffs appropriate.
While Necaxa enter the fray as the more qualified team, earning three more points than their competitors on Thursday night, their record heading into this all-important clash leaves much to be desired. Conceding ten goals in the last two matches of the regular season against Tigres and Monterrey, Eduardo Fentanes’ side will enter this match hoping to put their recent form behind them.
As for Querétaro, who is on a three-game winless streak, his streak before that saw Los Gallos Blancos continue a nine-game unbeaten streak. An impressive streak, but Querétaro’s problem has been his ability in front of goal. Scoring more than two goals on just two occasions during this Clausura campaign, their top scorer before this clash with Necaxa is 36-year-old winger Pablo Barrera, who has scored five goals.
While there are reasons to doubt both sides, the neutrals can expect an even match, with two of their last three matches ending in a draw, including their last meeting when Diego Gomez got a point for Necaxa in the 93rd minute.
Team News
Both teams have a near-full roster to choose from heading into this matchup. Necaxa will miss central midfielder Alek Alvarez, who suffered a shoulder injury in February, while Querétaro will still miss Jonathan Perlaza, who has been out since August 2023 with a cruciate ligament injury.
