Preview: Al Ahly vs Pachuca - prediction, team news, lineups

Al Ahly and Pachuca are set to clash at the Chase Stadium on Sunday evening in an international friendly in preparation for their involvement in the upcoming Club World Cup.

The Red Devils have been drawn alongside Inter Miami, Porto and Palmeiras in group A, while Gophers are matched up with RB Salzburg, Real Madrid and Al Hilal in group H.

Match preview

Al Ahly are undoubtedly the dominant side in Egyptian football, boasting a record 45 Egyptian Premier League titles, including lifting the trophy in each of the last three seasons.

The Red Devils were pushed right to the wire this campaign, though, a rare scenario for a team that secured the title with a 10-point lead in 2022-23 and a commanding 16-point margin in 2023-24.

The new format of the Egyptian Premier League for 2024-25 featured 17 matches played in a round-robin system before the league split, with the top nine teams competing for the championship and the bottom nine battling to avoid relegation.

Al Ahly trailed Pyramids FC by three points after the pre-split fixtures, but six wins, one draw and just one defeat from their eight post-split matches meant they moved ahead of their competitors and lifted the title with a two-point lead.

Despite continuing their domestic dominance, Al Ahly failed to reach the CAF Champions League final for the first time since their 2018-19 quarter-final exit - a period in which they won four of five titles - as they were eliminated by Mamelodi Sundowns in this year’s semi-finals.

Looking to put that disappointment behind them and instead impose themselves on the world stage, Al Ahly will aim to maintain their current six-game winning run ahead of their opening match in the Club World Cup, where they will face Inter Miami, Palmeiras and Porto in group A.

That may be a tough ask for Al Ahly, though, as the Red Devils are set to play under Jose Riveiro's management for the first time after the Spaniard was appointed last month following a brief interim spell from Emad El-Nahhas.

Al Ahly will also face no easy task at the Chase Stadium, as they come up against one of Mexico's most decorated clubs, Pachuca.

Pachuca are similarly using Sunday's encounter as a preparation game ahead of their Club World Cup involvement, where Gophers will face Al Hilal, RB Salzburg and Real Madrid in group H. 

The Mexican giants qualified for the competition thanks to their sensational CONCACAF Champions Cup victory in 2024, defeating Philadelphia Union 6-0 in the round of 16, Herediano 7-1 in the quarter-finals, Club America 3-2 in the semi-finals and Columbus Crew 3-0 in the final.

While that certainly meant last term ended on a high note with an exceptional achievement, Pachuca have struggled this season, winning only 14 of their 43 competitive matches so far.

Two of those wins came in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December 2024, where Pachuca beat Botafogo 3-0 in the second round and then bested Sunday’s opponents 6-5 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the playoff round, before eventually falling 3-0 to Real Madrid in the final.

Pachuca will be hopeful of securing yet another victory against Al Ahly, having won each of their last two encounters, on Sunday, as they prepare to make their mark on the world stage.

Al Ahly form (all competitions):

Pachuca form (all competitions):

Team News

Given Al Ahly’s six-match winning streak heading into this clash, Riveiro may decide to field a similar starting lineup here, aiming to maintain as much stability as possible in his first game in charge.

Mostafa Mahmoud Al Aash may be unavailable for selection, however, as the defender was forced off with an injury in their latest outing, meaning Achraf Dari could partner Yasser Ibrahim in central defence. 

In attack, Wessam Abou Ali scored four goals in that 6-0 victory against Pharco FC on the final day of the campaign, and the star striker should lead the line on Sunday.

As for Pachuca, Salomon Rondon scored 26 goals and assisted a further six in 46 appearances across all competitions this term, and the striker could start in this one.

At the other end of the pitch, Jorge Berlanga, Eduardo Bauermann, Daniel Aceves and Bryan Gonzalez are all likely to start in defence, with Carlos Moreno in goal.

Al Ahly possible starting lineup:

El-Shenawy; Hany, Ibrahim, Dari, Koka; Attia, Ashour, El-Solia; Mohamed, Bencharki; Ali

Pachuca possible starting lineup:

Moreno; Berlanga, Bauermann, Aceves, Gonzalez; Pedraza, Montiel; Sigala, Bautista, Idrissi; Rondon

We say: Al Ahly 3-0 Pachuca

Pachuca may have a decent record in this fixture, including the recent penalty victory in December, but Al Ahly are in far greater form and will be expected to win Sunday's friendly encounter.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Ellis Stevens

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