Posted by Diego Lainez scored his first two goals as a professional to help América to a 3-1 away win against Pachuca in round 3 of the Liga MX Apertura 2018. In his 37th professional appearance, Lainez struck in each half to condemn Los Tuzos to their third straight league defeat.
Looking for their first league win of the year, Pachuca fashioned the game’s first chance in the 6th minute. After running onto a floated Erick Gutierrez through ball, forward Francisco Jara’s cutback found Sebastián Palacios at the near post, but the former Talleres de Córdoba man directed his shot off target. The home side nearly conceded minutes later. After finding space on the left side of Pachuca’s box, América winger Andrés Ibargüen forced goalkeeper Alfonso Blanco into a double save. After shooting straight at Blanco, Ibargüen’s second effort was kicked to safety by the Mexican keeper.
Lainez did manage to beat Blanco in the 16th minute for the game’s first goal. After receiving the ball on the left, Lainez dribbled into the box before cutting inside Pachuca left-back Emmanuel García and spanking in a left-footed curling effort off the back post. The finish sparked wild celebrations among the América fans in the stands, who had shown up in numbers at the Estadio Hidalgo.
Pachuca struggled to create chances throughout the rest of the first half, with most of their play breaking down in midfield. Their only opportunity following Lainez’s goal came in the 24th minute, as Palacios found Erick Aguirre at the penalty spot with a low, deflected cross, only for Aguirre to whiff on his shot.
Replacing the ineffective Víctor Guzmán, Chilean attacking midfielder Ángelo Sagal came on at halftime for Pachuca, and the home side looked more dangerous early on in the second half. Tuzos center-back Stiven Barreiro stung the palms of América goalkeeper Augustín Marchesín with a long-range shot in the 49th minute, as the home side began to control the ball and pen América into their own half. However, a monumental Barreiro error in the 62nd minute led to América’s second goal. Caught taking too many touches on the ball, Barreiro was robbed in his own half by América forward Oribe Peralta. After dribbling into the box, Peralta squared for Lainez, who took two touches to set himself before blasting a left-footed effort past Blanco, who got a hand on the shot.
There was still time for Peralta to get his first league goal since round 8 of the Clausura 2018. After missing a gilt-edged chance minutes earlier, the Mexican international forward capitalized on a loose ball in the Pachuca box following an América corner in the 80th minute, sliding to tap in past Blanco for América’s third.
América looked set to see out the match comfortably from there, but Pachuca found a consolation goal in the 90th minute. After substitute Juan Pérez was felled in the box by América center-back Bruno Valdez, Jara stepped up to send Marchesín the wrong way with a powerful shot. The Pachuca players, who were booed by their own fans in the minutes following Peralta’s strike, did not celebrate their goal.
Pachuca will hope to avoid a fourth straight league defeat when they visit Pumas next Sunday. América has a Copa MX match at Dorados this Tuesday, before they host fellow title contenders Monterrey on Saturday.
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