soccer
Liga MX final: how many ‘Liguilla’ meetings have there been between Toluca and Pachua and who has won more?
Toluca take on Pachuca in the Liga MX final for the first time, having won three of the five previous short tournament meetings.
Toluca host Pachuca in the first leg of the Liga MX 2022 Apertura final on Thursday evening (kickoff at 9.06pm ET), with the return leg taking place at Estadio Hidalgo on Sunday 30 Octover (9.06 ET kickoff).
Liga MX’s two most frequent ‘Liguilla’ winners
It’s the final that not many of us, if we’re being honest, expected to see. But the clash brings together the two clubs who have amassed the most titles since the short tournament system was implemented in Liga MX in 1996. Toluca have won on seven occasions but are currently on a 12-year drought, with their last victory coming all the way back in the Bicentenario tournament in 2010. Pachuca lie just behind them with six trophies, the last of which saw them emerge victorious in the 2016 Clausura.
The young and up-and-coming Pachuca side are seen as favourites for the match by FiveThirtyEight, a website specialising in statistics-based forecasts, who give them a 72% chance of emerging victorious. However, after Toluca’s semi-final victory over red-hot favourites Club América, who ended the regular season at the top of the table, it would be foolish to bet against Ignacio Ambriz’s giant-killers.
This is the first time ever that Toluca and Pachuca have faced off in a ‘Liguilla’ final, with Toluca defeating Necaxa, Atlas, Santos Laguna (twice) Atlético Morelia, Monterrey and Cruz Azul in previous finals, while Pachuca have beaten Cruz Azul, Tigres (twice), San Luis, América and Monterrey in their final victories.
Previous meetings between Toluca and Pachuca in ‘Liguillas’
The clubs have, however, met on five previous occasions at different stages of either of the short tournaments, with Toluca edging the series by three to two.
Invierno 1999, quarter-finals: Pachuca 3-2 Toluca (on aggregate)
A 1-0 home victory for Pachuca was followed by a 2-2 draw at Estadio Nemesio Díez. ‘Los Tuzos’ would go on to win the tournament, defeating Cruz Azul in extra time in the second leg of the final in Mexico City.
Invierno 2001, semi-finals: Pachuca 5-3 Toluca (on aggregate)
Pachuca again defeated ‘Los Diablos Rojos’ on the way to lifting the trophy. After a 1-1 draw at Estadio Hidalgo, a superb second-half showing saw Pachuca come from 2-1 down to win 4-2 away from home. They would then go on to see off Tigres in the final.
Apertura 2006, semi-finals: Toluca 2-1 Pachuca (on aggregate)
Toluca progressed this time thanks to a 2-1 victory at La Bombonera after a goalless draw in Pachuca. An entertaining final saw the Red Devils defeat Monterrey 6-3 on aggregate, sealed by a superb 3-0 victory away from home.
Apertura 2006, semi-finals: Toluca 2-1 Pachuca (on aggregate)
Copy and paste. A Vicente Sánchez goal won the second leg for Toluca after the teams had drawn at Estadio Hidalgo. However, on this occasion, there would be disappointment in the final, as Chivas ran out 3-2 winners over two legs.
Bicentenario 2010, semi-finals: Toluca 3-2 Pachuca
Another very tight affair, with Antonio Rios’ second-leg goal the difference between the teams in Toluca after they had shared four goals in Pachuca. As mentioned above, this would be ‘Los Diablos Rojos’’ most recent trophy win and a dramatic one it was in a penalty shootout against Santos Laguna, who had looked certain to win before missing their last three penalties.