As a data scientist with a decade in football analytics, I’ve dissected every stat, injury report, and tactical nuance between Real Madrid and Pachuca. Despite Real Madrid’s injury crisis and Pachuca’s defensive fragility, the numbers don’t lie: Madrid’s historical dominance, elite roster depth, and high-pressure climate exposure create an asymmetric battleground. I predict 3-1 — not by gut feeling, but by probability matrices that account for heat fatigue, midfield gaps, and Couto’s return. The market agrees. The data doesn’t care about narratives — it just calculates.