Pachuca vs FC Salzburg predictions: Rondon could be key for Mexican side
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- Salomon Rondon scored 15 league goals for Pachuca last season
- FC Salzburg have kept just one clean sheet in their last nine matches
- Recommended bet: Salomon Rondon to score at any time
Both Pachuca and FC Salzburg face a tough task at this year's Club World Cup, so the pair will be desperate to get their campaigns kick-started with a win on Wednesday.
With Real Madrid and Al Hilal the other two teams in Group H, a victory here would drastically increase their respective chances of progressing to the knockout stages.
Team news
Pachuca have a full squad to choose from, with former Everton and Newcastle striker Salomon Rondon expected to lead the line.
FC Salzburg have a number of injury issues and have left a considerable number of their squad at home.
Samson Tijani, Aleksa Terzic and former Liverpool youngster Bobby Clark are all absent.
Goalkeeper Alexander Schlager is also facing a race against time to recover from a hand injury.
The stats
FC Salzburg lost seven of their eight Champions League matches last season.
They failed to score in five of those defeats and conceded at least three goals on six occasions.
Both teams scored in eight of Salzburg's last nine games of the campaign.
Pachuca have played in four previous Club World Cups under the old format, winning four games.
The Mexican club's best finish was third place in 2017, when they beat Al-Jazira 4-1 in the play-off.
Prediction
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FC Salzburg have a young squad who look up against it at this year's Club World Cup.
The Austrians could only finish second domestically after a difficult campaign that saw former Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders sacked after less than a year in charge.
They were also humbled in the Champions League and will have to improve upon those performances if they are to have an impact at this level.
Thomas Letsch's men face a Pachuca side who have struggled since winning the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League.
Their disappointing campaign led to the dismissal of manager Guillermo Almada, to be replaced by former Mexico boss Jaime Lozano.
Key to the Tezos' chances is veteran striker Salomon Rondon.
The Venezuelan scored 15 league goals last season and looks a tempting price to get on the scoresheet against a Salzburg defence that has been leaky in recent times.
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