Pumas - Pachuca: Efraín Juárez faces 1-0 semifinal deficit
Pumas - Pachuca reaches Ciudad Universitaria on Sunday, May 17, with Pumas trailing 1-0 after the first leg. Efraín Juárez takes his team home needing a win of any score to reach the Liga MX Clausura 2026 final.
Efraín Juárez and the deficit
Oussama Idrissi scored the only goal in the first leg, and that single strike left Pumas with a narrow but clear task in the return match. The second leg is set for 21:00 hours in the United States and 19:00 hours in Mexico, with Pumas hosting at Ciudad Universitaria.
Pumas reached this point after a tighter path than the scoreline suggests. The club got past Club América on a 6-6 global draw, advancing by tiebreaker because of its better position in the overall table after finishing the regular season as the leader of the phase regular.
Pachuca after Toluca
Pachuca arrives with its own route already settled. It eliminated Deportivo Toluca FC 3-0 on aggregate before beating Pumas 1-0 in the semifinal opener.
That leaves the return leg with one clear condition for Pumas: win, and the final is still alive. Any other result sends Pachuca through, so Juárez’s side has no margin for another slow start at home.
Where to watch Pumas
Viewers in Mexico can watch Pumas home matches exclusively on Vix Premium, TUDN, and Canal 5. In the United States, the match is available on TUDN USA and Univisión.
The setting is straightforward now. Pumas has the home field, the date, and the route back in front of it, but Pachuca carries the 1-0 edge and the only goal from Idrissi’s first-leg finish.
