Cruz Azul and Rayados delivered a thrilling match at the Steel Giant to decide the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16, a duel that was painted sky blue with a 2-3 score in favor of La Máquina.
Although it was Erik Lira who broke the deadlock, Luis Roberto de la Rosa awakened the killer instinct and turned the game around with a brace before heading into the break.
In the second half, both teams showed aggression to take control of the match. However, an unusual situation left Rayados at a disadvantage.
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Santiago Mele saw a red card for a double booking, and defender Stefan Medina put on the gloves 10 minutes before the end of the match. Immediately, Piovi equalized from the penalty spot.
The crowning moment for Cruz Azul came when regulation time was up, and Nico Ibáñez sealed the match to give his team a slight advantage for the return game of the tournament.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
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