Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul: Montaño's late penalty gives La Máquina a 2-1 win and third place in Liga MX

Cruz Azul left a rainy Estadio Hidalgo with three points and a better seat at the table. A late penalty from substitute Andrés Montaño gave La Máquina a 2-1 win over Pachuca on Wednesday night, Oct. 21, on Matchday 13 of the Liga MX Apertura 2026, lifting Cruz Azul into third place, according to El Universal and ESPN Deportes.

The match drew more than 50,000 US Google searches under “pachuca - cruz azul,” with Spanish-language queries such as “cruz azul vs pachuca” and “fútbol mexicano” close behind.

Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul: goals and final score

• 13’ Gabriel “Toro” Fernández (Cruz Azul): 0-1. ESPN Deportes described a rehearsed play down the right between Jeremy Márquez and Alan Mozo, whose low cross Fernández finished.
• 20’ Francisco Venegas (Pachuca): 1-1, a powerful volley that, per ESPN Deportes, hit the crossbar before crossing the line.
• 79’ Andrés Montaño (Cruz Azul), penalty: 1-2, after Pachuca defender Pedro Budib fouled Fernández.

Timing details vary slightly by outlet; the minutes above follow ESPN Deportes and El Universal. Referee Daniel Quintero awarded the penalty, El Universal reported.

The Rondón goal that didn’t count

Pachuca thought it had equalized late. Salomón Rondón put the ball in the net around the 86th minute, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review; ESPN Deportes said it was ruled offside. Rondón, the Apertura 2026’s top scorer, stays on 13 goals, according to ESPN Deportes.

El Universal reported nine minutes of stoppage time, and Rondón had one more chance in it.

Andrés Gudiño, Cruz Azul’s hero

ESPN Deportes named goalkeeper Andrés Gudiño the figure of the match. He made a diving stop on Rodolfo Pizarro in the ninth minute, saved a powerful shot from Javier Vallejo in the 72nd and beat Rondón one-on-one in the 74th, and the penalty came on the very next play. He denied Rondón again in stoppage time.

Montaño off the bench

Coach Joel Huiqui started Jeremy Márquez instead of Montaño, even though Montaño had a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win over FC Juárez in the previous match, ESPN Deportes reported. Montaño came on in the 70th minute at 1-1 and scored nine minutes later, his third goal in three games.

Pachuca’s slump deepens

For Pachuca, coached by Benjamín Mora, the loss extended a run to five matches without a win. ESPN Deportes reported the Tuzos are third from the bottom with 13 points with four rounds left, putting them on the edge of elimination from playoff contention.

Two other moments stood out, per ESPN Deportes: Budib, 22, was making his first-division debut when he conceded the penalty, and winger Oussama Idrissi reacted angrily to being substituted in the 67th minute, leaving without shaking his coach’s hand. Cruz Azul’s Rodolfo Rotondi also returned from injury for the first time since mid-September.

The rain affected play after the early goals, El Universal noted. El Universal also described Cruz Azul as the reigning champion of Mexican soccer, chasing back-to-back titles.

Starting lineups

Pachuca: Carlos Moreno, Eduardo Bauermann, Jorge Berlanga, Francisco Venegas, Pedro Budib, Rodolfo Pizarro, Christian Rivera, Alán Bautista, Oussama Idrissi, Javier Vallejo, Salomón Rondón.

Cruz Azul: Andrés Gudiño, Alan Mozo, Omar Campos, Alán Montes, Gonzalo Piovi, Erik Lira, Agustín Palavecino, Jeremy Márquez, Amaury García, Carlos Rodríguez, Gabriel Fernández.

(Lineups as listed by ESPN Deportes.)

What’s next

Both teams play again on Sunday, Oct. 25, in Matchday 14: Cruz Azul visits Querétaro at Estadio Corregidora, and Pachuca visits league leader América at Estadio Banorte.

FAQ

Who won Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul? Cruz Azul won 2-1 at Estadio Hidalgo on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Who scored? Gabriel Fernández and Andrés Montaño (penalty) for Cruz Azul; Francisco Venegas for Pachuca.

Why was Salomón Rondón’s goal disallowed? VAR ruled it offside, according to ESPN Deportes.

Where is Cruz Azul in the Liga MX table? Third after the win, per El Universal and ESPN Deportes.