Cruz Azul secured a crucial 2-1 victory over CF Pachuca at the Estadio Hidalgo in a tightly contested Liga MX encounter. The visitors drew first blood in the 13th minute when Gabriel Fernández expertly finished off an assist from Alan Mozo. Pachuca responded swiftly, leveling the score just seven minutes later through Francisco Venegas, set up by Rodolfo Pizarro. The first half saw a flurry of yellow cards, with bookings for Pachuca's Eduardo Dos Santos, Oussama Idrissi, and Francisco Venegas, and Cruz Azul's Carlos Rodriguez. The second half continued in a similar vein of tactical battles and substitutions, but it was Cruz Azul who found the decisive moment in the 79th minute. Andrés Montaño netted the winning goal, ultimately proving too much for a spirited Pachuca side who also saw several players cautioned late on.