C.F. Pachuca vs. FC Red Bull Salzburg Prediction on June 18, 2025

Match info

On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, an exciting mood builds for the second Group H match of the newly expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as the sun sets over Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium in Ohio, USA. The match between C.F. Pachuca of Mexico and FC Red Bull Salzburg of Austria is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. local time. Both teams are making their debuts in this innovative format of an international men’s association football competition organized by FIFA, the sport’s global governing body. Every bookmaker for football betting seems to favor RB Salzburg slightly in this encounter.

Meeting statistics

Pachuca’s “Tuzos” (The Gophers) arrive in Cincinnati with a mixture of assurance and prudence. With two victories, a draw, and two defeats in their previous five games across all competitions, their recent play has been erratic. But their most recent victory is what has given the team a boost of confidence. In a friendly international match against Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly, Pachuca showed their mental toughness by winning a penalty shootout following a 1-1 tie in regular time. Their Club World Cup campaign might lead to a great start thanks to this hard-fought victory.

Under Guillermo Almada’s leadership, Pachuca have established a reputation for playing with energy and aggression. Regardless of the competition, the Uruguayan strategist has encouraged his team to express themselves on the field with a spirit of fearlessness. Almada quit less than a week before the CWC, so he won’t have the opportunity to take on the job of translating that to the worldwide stage. Pachuca’s strength is its well-rounded team, which combines intriguing youthful potential with seasoned campaigners.

With three victories in their last five games, RB Salzburg come into the competition with a lot of enthusiasm. Their most recent performance, a convincing 4-2 triumph over Rapid Vienna, is evidence of their tenacity and offensive ability. This Club World Cup offers the Austrian powerhouse, which has long been renowned for its capacity to develop young talent, a chance to expose its most recent generation of players to the world. Under Thomas Letsch’s leadership, “Die Roten Bullen” (The Red Bulls) have persisted in developing their high-pressing, high-intensity style of play, which has come to represent their philosophy of football.

Salzburg appear to be finding their rhythm at the ideal moment based on their previous performance. With 12 goals in their last five games, their offense has been very strong. They pose a threat to any opponent, including the battle-hardened Pachuca team they play in their opening match, thanks to their goal-scoring ability and distinctive pressing style.

There’s no previous head-to-head data to use because this is the first time that Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg have met. The fact that there’s no prior head-to-head record makes the match even more intriguing because both sides will be playing in unfamiliar territory.

Match analytics

We think Red Bull Salzburg have a minor advantage in this encounter because of their previous performance and offensive ability. Although nothing is definite due to the unpredictability of this new competition format, our prediction for the match is that the Austrian team will win.

Tip: 1X2: FC Salzburg, with odds of 2.54 on Spinanga.