PACHUCA DE SOTO (Interstat) — Cruz Azul beat Pachuca 2-1 on Wednesday at Estadio Hidalgo, getting a first-half goal from Gabriel Fernandez and the deciding score from Andres Montano. Fernandez opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Pachuca answered in the 20th minute when Francisco Venegas scored. Montano, who played 20 minutes, provided the other Cruz Azul goal as the visiting side held the lead. Pachuca was the home team, and Cruz Azul was the visitor.

Fernandez played the full 90 minutes and scored once. Venegas played 85 minutes for Pachuca, scored once and received a yellow card. Montano’s 20-minute appearance included one goal. Alan Mozo played 70 minutes for Cruz Azul and recorded one assist. Rodolfo Pizarro played 67 minutes for Pachuca and had one assist and one yellow card. Fernandez’s goal came before Pachuca’s equalizer, and Montano’s goal supplied Cruz Azul’s second score. Mozo’s assist and Pizarro’s assist were listed among the key performances.

Eight yellow cards were issued. Pachuca’s Eduardo Bauermann was booked in the 11th minute. Cruz Azul’s Rodriguez C. was booked in the 39th. Pachuca’s Idrissi O. was booked in the 45th. Venegas was booked in the 48th. Pizarro was booked in the 63rd. Pachuca’s Budib P. was booked in the 75th. Cruz Azul’s Garcia A. was booked in the 85th. Cruz Azul’s Romero L. was booked in the 90th plus fourth minute. The yellow cards were the only disciplinary entries listed from the match.

Cruz Azul made substitutions in the 61st minute with Campos O. and Marquez J. entering. Cruz Azul also made changes in the 70th minute with Mozo A. and Palavecino A. and in the 82nd minute with Rodriguez C. Pachuca made substitutions in the 67th minute with Pizarro R. and Idrissi O. entering. Pachuca also made changes in the 79th minute with Vallejo N. and Berlanga J. and in the 85th minute with Venegas F. The 67th-minute changes included Pizarro, who had an assist and a yellow card, and Idrissi, who had a yellow card. The 85th-minute change removed Venegas, who had scored and been booked. The substitutions were the only changes listed from the match.

Cruz Azul entered the match after a 5-0 win against Juarez and a 3-3 draw at UNAM Pumas. Pachuca entered after a 2-1 loss at Monterrey and a 3-3 draw with Necaxa. Pachuca’s earlier competition results included a 1-0 loss at Santos Laguna, a 2-2 draw with Club Tijuana, a 3-0 win at Atlante, a 1-1 draw with Guadalajara Chivas, a 1-1 draw at Atletico SL, a 3-2 loss to Puebla and a 1-0 loss at Club Leon. Cruz Azul’s season record in this competition is now two wins, no losses and one draw. Pachuca’s season record in this competition is now two wins, seven losses and four draws. Cruz Azul’s season record across all competitions is now two wins, no losses and one draw. Pachuca’s season record across all competitions is now two wins, seven losses and four draws. The records were identical in the competition and across all competitions for both teams. Cruz Azul scored two goals total, and Pachuca scored one.

Pachuca’s next competition matches include a trip to Club America, a home match against Tigres UANL, a trip to Atlas and a home match against Toluca.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cruz Azul 3, Pachuca 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Pachuca with an 84.6 percent probability to win. Cruz Azul had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5.