Chivas rally at the death to avoid Concacaf Champions Cup scare | OneFootball

Mexican giants Chivas left it late on Thursday to draw 1-1 with Cibao in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round one clash.

Scorers: Díaz Sánchez 1'; Mejia 90+10'

It took less than 60 seconds for the side from the Dominican Republic to put the ball beyond goalkeeper Raúl Rangel and after coming out of the gates hot, the hosts almost held on for a massive upset.

The initial man of the moment was Juan David Díaz Sánchez. After some sloppy play at the back by Chivas, the ball fell for the 27-year-old right winger outside the box. His left-footed strike then nestled into the bottom right corner.

As expected, the visitors dominated the game over the remaining 90 minutes of action, and after 18 shots and 71% possession, it appeared they would be left stunned. That was until Luis Gabriel Rey Mejia equalized with the last attempt of the game and his header found the net in the dying seconds.

Meanwhile, an extra positive for the Liga MX side was Alan Pulido's return. The striker recovered from a knee injury and entered the game at the 46-minute mark.

Chivas will now return home to Akron Stadium for the second leg on February 12, where supporters will play a massive role in helping reach the next round. The club will face Club América next should they move on.

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