Following their opening day defeat against Chivas Guadalajara, Leon will look to bounce back when they meet Pachuca on Monday at Estadio Leon in what is expected to be a tight Liga MX Apertura clash.
With a whopping 28 shots, eight shots on target, 70% possession, and 519 passes, the reigning CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) winners shouldn’t have lost the Guadalajara clash at the start of Apertura, but they just couldn't seize their opportunity in the final third as the game at Estadio Leon ended in a 1-2 upset.
The fact that they only allowed four shots on goal in their Liga MX Apertura opener and surrendered half of them shows how unlucky they were on the day.
Regardless, coach Nicholas Larcamon's side will look to get back on track with a positive result against Pachuca before travelling to Monterrey to face current Liga MX champion Tigres.
Pachuca, meanwhile, secured a lacklustre 1-1 draw in their visit to Mazatlán. Los Tuzos, like Leon, had their opportunities in the final third last week, with eight shots on goal, but for the time being, they appear to be lacking chemistry, which is maybe unsurprising given they have let go a number of key players this summer who helped them win the 2022 Apertura title.
Despite the club boasting the best academy structure in Liga MX, Uruguayan coach Guillermo Almada, who is flirting with the Mexican national team vacancy, has a tricky task of trying to make a competent side consisting of several inexperienced academy graduates.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
León vs Pachuca kick-off time
| Date: | July 10, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 10pm ET/ 7pm PT |
| Venue: | Estadio Leon |
The Liga MX Apertura game between Club Leon and Pachuca will take place on Monday, July 10, 2023 at 10pm Eastern Time (ET)/7pm Pacific Time (PT) in the Estadio Leon.
How to watch León vs Pachuca online - TV channels & live updates
Live on GOAL | GOAL | Live Updates |
The game will not be broadcast live on TV and will not be available to stream live online. However, fans can follow the live updates on GOAL's live match center.
Team news & squads
León team news
Federico Vinas missed the season opener due to a knee injury, but he might be fit for this one. Coach Nicolas Ricardo Larcamon was fuming after the last game against Chivas ended in a 2-1 loss, and will want a response from his troops in this game.
Alfonso Alvarado scored the goal in their opening fixture, his first since joining them on a permanent move.
Victor Davila, who was Leon's top-scorer last season, had plenty of chances in the opener, firing eight shots with two on target, but just couldn't capitalize. He will hope for better luck in front of goal whilst leading the line for the hosts this time around.
Club Leon possible XI: Cota; Barreiro, Frias, Tesillo; O. Fernandez, Romero, Angulo, E. Hernandez; Rubio, Alvarado, Davila
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Cota, Herrera |
| Defenders: | Barreiro, Frias, Tesillo, Moreno, O. Rodriguez, Ramirez, Bellon, Budib |
| Midfielders: | Romero, Angulo, J. Rodriguez, Uribe, Rosales, |
| Forwards: | Rubio, Alvarado, Davila, E. Hernandez, Mena, O. Fernandez, Vinas |
Pachuca team news
Pachuca were without the services of Erick Sanchez and Luis Chavez in their opening game due to respective injuries, and it's unclear whether either of them will be able to recover in time to feature here.
Sergio Barreto made his first outing for the club ever since joining them from Independiente in Argentina last time out, lining up in a back-four alongside Miguel Rodriguez, Gustavo Cabral and current Leon loanee Byron Castillo.
Star striker Lucas Di Yorio, who was loaned out to Leon last season and banged in 11 goals for them including the decisive goal in their CONCACAF Champions League final against LAFC, has already made an impression with Los Tuzos, scoring his first goal of the season against Mazatlan.
Pachuca possible XI: Ustari; B. Castillo, Cabral, Barreto, M. Rodriguez; de la Fuente, Marchand, Luna, Figueroa; Di Yorio, De la Rosa
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Ustari, Moreno |
| Defenders: | B. Castillo, Cabral, Barreto, M. Rodriguez, Blanco |
| Midfielders: | Luna, Pedraza, Casiano, Figueroa, Marchand, A. Montiel |
| Forwards: | Di Yorio, De la Rosa, de la Fuente, Hinestroza, Ovelar, Hernandez, |
Head-to-Head Record
Pachuca have only suffered one defeat in their previous five meetings versus Leon, keeping them off the scoresheet in three of those matches, including a 1-0 triumph in their last visit to Estadio Leon in February (1-0).
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 5/2/23 | Leon 0-1 Pachuca | Clausura 2023 |
| 22/8/22 | Pachuca 1-0 Leon | Apertura 2022 |
| 23/1/22 | Leon 2-1 Pachuca | Clausura 2022 |
| 25/7/21 | Pachuca 4-0 Leon | Apertura 2021 |
| 19/1/21 | Leon 0-0 Pachuca | Claursura 2021 |