Club World Cup Showdown: Pachuca vs. Red Bull Salzburg Preview
Clash of the Titans: Pachuca vs. Red Bull Salzburg
On Wednesday, the stage is set at TQL Stadium as Mexico’s Liga MX contender Pachuca faces off against Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg from the Bundesliga in their eagerly anticipated Club World Cup opener.
Pachuca is aiming to build momentum by securing consecutive victories midweek, while Salzburg is keen to extend their winning streak to three matches.
Match Preview
In the 2024-25 season, Jaime Lozano’s Pachuca faced fluctuating successes, landing 16th in Mexico’s Torneo Apertura but managing to reach the play-in stage of the Torneo Clausura.
Looking to shake off a weak finish in the domestic league, Pachuca bested Al Ahly from Saudi Arabia’s Pro League in a friendly on June 8. After a full-time draw at 1-1, they emerged victorious via penalties.
This win marked only their second success in the past six encounters, a series that includes two draws and two losses. Their performance suggests a trend of inconsistency in recent times.
Facing Group H powerhouses Real Madrid, Al Hilal, and Salzburg, Pachuca enters the tournament as the underdog. Hence, securing at least a point against a non-Real team is critical to having any hope of advancing past the group stage.
Meanwhile, Salzburg’s journey has been a rollercoaster. They parted ways with manager Pepijn Lijnders, who transitioned to Manchester City as an assistant in mid-December. Thomas Letsch was installed as head coach just two days later.
Under Letsch, Salzburg clinched second place in the Austrian Bundesliga’s championship round, concluding with consecutive victories. The Club World Cup provides Letsch an opportunity to set a solid foundation for his first full season.
Although confident, Salzburg had to cancel a warm-up game against Seekirchen last week. Their last competitive match was a 4-2 triumph over SK Rapid on May 24, raising concerns that rust might affect their form.
While neither squad enjoys a true home advantage, Salzburg has struggled lately away from home, losing two of their last three road matches and failing to keep a clean sheet on the road since March. This could pose a challenge in Cincinnati.
Nevertheless, Salzburg’s win on Wednesday would do wonders for their progression prospects, especially with a promising schedule, meeting Al Hilal before tackling Real next Friday.
Current Form
Pachuca Form (all competitions): * Draw * Loss * Win * Draw * Loss * Win
Salzburg Form (all competitions): * Draw * Loss * Win * Loss * Win * Win
Team News
Pachuca might stick to the lineup that edged out Al Ahly, featuring centre-backs Eduardo Bauermann and Sergio Barreto, shielding keeper Carlos Moreno.
John Kennedy leads the attack, flanked by wingmen Emilio Rodriguez and Oussama Idrissi, with Alan Bautista operating in an advanced midfield position.
For Salzburg, young left-back John Mellberg, who was injured against Rapid, should be fit to play on Wednesday.
Mads Bidstrup will captivate with his captaincy and resume his central midfield partnership with Takumu Kawamura.
Up front, Letsch may rely on Nene Dorgeles alongside Oscar Gloukh, with strikers Edmund Baidoo and Petar Ratkov as the lead attacking edge.
Pachuca Potential Starting Lineup: Moreno; L Rodriguez, Bauermann, Barreto, Gonzalez; Palavecino, Montiel; E Rodriguez, Bautista, Idrissi; Kennedy
Salzburg Potential Starting Lineup: Schlager; Trummer, Gadou, S Baidoo, Mellberg; Bidstrup, Kawamura; Dorgeles, Gloukh; E Baidoo, Ratkov
Prediction
Pachuca 1-2 Salzburg
Despite Pachuca’s recent activity giving them a slight edge in terms of readiness, Salzburg is expected to prevail in this match. Anything less than a victory would be seen as a setback for the Austrian side, given the level of competition.