Two of the most successful Mexican teams in recent years meet at the famed Estadio Azteca on Saturday.
Club America hosts Pachuca after starting the season with a 1-0 victory over Queretaro. Pachuca blew a 2-0 lead to Pumas and will need to bounce back from a 3-2 loss it suffered at the Estadio Hidalgo in Round 1.
The match's start time was pushed forward as the television rights-holders shifted start times for Round 2.
| Game | Club America vs Pachuca |
| Date | Saturday, January 13 |
| Time | 6 p.m. ET |
| Stream (US only) | fuboTV (7-day free trial) |
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SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
| Position | Club America players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Marchesin, Pineda, Jimenez |
| Defenders | Vargas, Alvarez, Aguilera, Valdez, Aguilar, Cedillo |
| Midfielders | Rodriguez, Da Silva, Uribe, Dominguez, Corona, Arce, Orrantia, Paredes, Ibarra, Lainez |
| Forwards | Romero, Marin, Diaz, Martin, Peralta, Quintero |
Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez are elgiible to make their Clausura debuts after serving one-match suspensions in the opener against Clausura.
Jeremy Menez and Andres Ibarguen have been signed but will not be ready for Saturday's contest.
Potential starting XI: Marchesin; Aguilar, Valdez, Aguilera, Valdes; Ibarra, Rodriguez, Uribe; Quintero, Peralta, Martin
| Position | Pachuca players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Blanco, Perez, Romero |
| Defenders | Esquivel, Gonzalez, Lopez, Garcia, Martinez, Murillo, Pena, Herrera, Villegas, Wbias |
| Midfielders | Honda, Guzman, Sagal, Gimenez, Aguirre, Gutierrez, Hernandez, Figueroa, Lopez, Gomez |
| Forwards | Calero, Jara, Ayala, Reyes, Palacios |
Pachuca has no players suspended and also is largely fit.
Potential starting XI: Blanco; Martinez, Gonzalez, Murillo, Garcia; Hernandez, Gutierrez; Honda, Guzman, Aguirre; Jara
GAME PREVIEW
Getty Images
Club America makes its 2018 home debut when it hosts Club Pachuca at Estadio Azteca.
After concerns about the attack - and two winter signings from abroad to bolster the unit - it was new Aguila forward Henry Martin who scored to give the club a 1-0 victory over Queretaro in Round 1.
While neither addition from abroad will be available for Saturday's contest, America will get a boost with defensive midfielder Guido Rodriguez and defender-midfielder Edson Alvarez returning from suspensions. Rodriguez is expected to slot into the starting lineup while Alvarez may see time off the bench.
Pachuca must bounce back from a frustrating start to the season. After Franco Jara and Keisuke Honda netted first-half goals, Pumas were able to charge back and hand Tuzos a home defeat to open the season.
Despite the team's reputation for giving young players opportunities, veteran midfielder Chaco Gimenez, 36, and 44-year-old goalkeeper Oscar Perez could get the nod from manager Diego Alonso as he looks to recover the club's form.
Center backs Oscar Murillo and Omar Gonzalez, who were key parts of Tuzos' CONCACAF Champions League win last year and Liga MX Clausura title the year before that, also need to find their former level.
America will be the favorite to take all three points at home - though the club was defeated twice at Estadio Azteca during the Apertura.
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