Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the opening matches of the group stage at the FIFA Club World Cup will take place on Thursday at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, where Mexico’s Pachuca faces Austria’s Salzburg. I suggest betting on goals in this clash, with a solid odds value.
Match preview
Mexican side Pachuca enters the tournament with a wealth of Club World Cup experience — this marks their fifth appearance on the international stage. The team qualified as the winners of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, having crushed Columbus Crew 3-0 in the final. Despite a modest performance in the domestic Clausura, where they finished 8th and won just one of their last five matches, Pachuca traditionally brings a disciplined approach to international competitions.
Early June saw a significant change at the club, as former Mexico national team coach Jaime Lozano took the helm. Under his leadership, the focus will clearly be on experienced players, particularly Venezuelan striker Salomón Rondón, who netted 15 goals in the last league season. Although Pachuca hasn’t been prolific in previous Club World Cup campaigns, they showed impressive consistency in the CONCACAF Champions League — 12 matches unbeaten, scoring in every game.
Salzburg from Austria is making its Club World Cup debut and is already making history — no Austrian club has ever reached this level before. Thomas Letsch’s squad earned their ticket thanks to a high UEFA club coefficient over the past four years, a testament to their stability and attacking prowess in Europe. Despite finishing second in the Bundesliga and fighting for the title until the final round, Salzburg has shown character and attacking firepower, especially through Nene Dorgeles, who scored 13 league goals.
In the UEFA Champions League, Salzburg’s results have been mixed: seven defeats in their last eight matches in regular time, but almost always in high-scoring encounters. Their vulnerable defense is offset by a relentless attacking approach, particularly on the counter. Expect Salzburg to stick to their philosophy of "outscore the opposition," especially given the importance of the opening game in a tightly matched group.
Probable line-ups
- Pachuca: Carlos Moreno – Bryan Gonzalez, Alonso Aceves, Eduardo Gabriel, Jorge Berlanga – Elias Montiel, Pedro Pedraza – Oussama Idrissi, Alan Bautista, Emilio Rodriguez – Salomón Rondón.
- Salzburg: Alexander Schlager – Tim Trummer, Kouakou Gadu, Samson Baidoo, Jon Mellberg – Nene Dorgeles, Mads Bidstrup, Takumu Kawamura, Oscar Gloukh – Edmund Baidoo, Petar Ratkov.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Pachuca has won only one of nine Club World Cup matches in regular time.
- Salzburg has conceded two or more goals in seven of their last eight UEFA Champions League games.
- Both teams have scored in eight of Salzburg’s last nine matches and in Pachuca’s last six CONCACAF encounters.
Prediction
This match promises to be balanced yet entertaining — both teams favor open football and have potent attacking leaders. For each, it’s a chance to start strong and seize an advantageous position in the group. Given Salzburg’s shaky defense and Pachuca’s attacking style, both teams scoring looks like a logical prediction. Our bet: "Both teams to score" at odds of 1.75.
