Pachuca defeated the current CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores champions, Botafogo, 3-0 to eliminate them from the Intercontinental Cup. With goals from Oussama Idrissi, Nelson Deossa, and Salomón Rondón, the Mexicans advanced to the semifinals, where they will face Al-Ahly from Egypt.

Idrissi's stunning goal and Mexican dominance

The match started with Botafogo struggling to impose their rhythm. At the 50-minute mark, Idrissi, with a brilliant individual play, opened the scoring for Pachuca, leaving two Brazilian defenders behind and finishing with class. Despite Botafogo's attempts to respond, Pachuca remained firm and took advantage of an error by Thiago Almada, allowing Deossa to extend the lead in the 66th minute.

Rondón seals the qualification

Botafogo's coach, Artur Jorge, rotated several key players, such as Alex Telles, Marlon, Jefferson Savarino, and Thiago Almada, but couldn't give his team the necessary spark. In the 80th minute, Rondón, the all-time top scorer for the Venezuelan national team, sealed the match with a counter-attack goal, leaving the Brazilian team without a response. With this result, Pachuca advanced to the next stage of the tournament.

After a promising start to the season, Botafogo collapsed in the second half and couldn't match the intensity of Pachuca. Now, the Mexicans are preparing for their clash against Al-Ahly, with their eyes set on the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Grand Final, where they could face Real Madrid.