CONCACAF Champions League: Monterrey 4 Santos Laguna 2

Monterrey have staged a remarkable comeback to beat Santos Laguna 4-2 and claim their third consecutive CONCACAF Champions League title.

Santos Laguna led by two goals with 40 minutes remaining in the second leg in Monterrey but a brace from Aldo de Nigris, together with goals from Neri Cardozo and Humberto Suazo, ensured the hosts claimed the two-legged final 4-2 on aggregate.

Wednesday’s victory ensured Monterrey became only the second club to lift CONCACAF’s premier continental trophy in three consecutive years, following on from fellow Mexican outfit Cruz Azul, who won in 1969, 1970 and 1971 when the competition was known as the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The visitors from Torreon took the lead in the 38th minute when Colombian striker Carlos Quintero tapped Edgar Lugo’s cross into the net. Five minutes into the second half Santos made it 2-0 thanks to Felipe Baloy’s header.

Santos looked on track to overturn last season’s final, when they were defeated 3-2 on aggregate by Monterrey, until the two-time and reigning champions started their comeback on the hour mark when De Nigris scored.

But having got back into the match, Monterrey seemed to stall up against a solid Santos defence until Cardozo slotted the ball past visiting goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez in the 84th minute.

Just three minutes later and De Nigris got his head to Suazo’s cross to put Monterrey in front, before the latter wrapped up a memorable comeback, finishing off a speedy counter-attack in stoppage time.

Monterrey’s triumph continued Mexico’s dominance of the continental competition, with the Central American country having won 29 of the combined 50 titles from the CONCACAF Champions League and its predecessor, the Champions Cup.