CONCACAF Champions League Review: Pachuca impress

Pachuca made the perfect start to their CONCACAF Champions League campaign with a 4-1 thrashing of Real Espana on Wednesday.

The Liga MX side scored twice in each half at the Estadio Miguel Hidalgo to make an ideal start in Group One.

Erick Gutierrez netted a brace to go with goals from Hirving Lozano and Ariel Nahuelpan in Pachuca de Soto.

Good pressing led to Gutierrez opening the scoring midway through the first half as he put away a Daniel Villalpando cutback.

Another turnover of possession led to the second in the 27th minute as Lozano tucked away a one-on-one after a Nahuelpan pass.

Gutierrez nodded in Lozano’s cross to make it 3-0 just eight minutes into the second half.

The points were sealed in the 57th minute, when Aviles Hurtado’s tricky run down the left led to a cross which Nahuelpan headed in.

The Hondurans got on the scoresheet in the 68th minute as a attempted through pass took two deflections, the second off Aquivaldo Mosquera, to find the net.

In Group Two, Costa Ricans Deportivo Saprissa came form behind to draw 1-1 at Nicaragua’s Real Esteli.

Rodrigo Valiente had given the hosts a ninth-minute lead, but Ariel Rodriguez equalised in the second half.