Cibao, Real Estelí seek to complete upsets against Mexican powers

MIAMI – The 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup continues on Wednesday with two second-leg encounters in Round One.

Mexican powerhouse CD Guadalajara will host Dominican side Cibao FC. Tigres UANL welcomes Nicaraguan side Real Estelì FC, the runners-up in the 2023 and 2024 Concacaf Central American Cup.

If teams are tied on away goals after regulation, extra time and penalties (if necessary) will decide the winner of the Round One series.  

CD Guadalajara vs. Cibao FC

CD Guadalajara turns to its home field after rescuing a 1-1 draw in the 90'+10 of the first leg against Cibao FC. The second leg will be played at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico.

Luis Gabriel Rey scored his first goal for Chivas in the Champions Cup in dramatic fashion. The goal in the final seconds of stoppage time salvaged a draw and an away goal.

With the draw, Dominican clubs remain winless all-time against Mexican opponents in the tournament. Chivas has won four times and drawn twice in their meetings against Dominican opposition.

After dominating with 70.6% of the possession and 87.7 passing accuracy in the first leg, the Rojiblancos seek a spark in the final third to avoid being stunned at home.

Roberto Alvarado finished with seven shots in that match and will be counted on again as a factor.

Juan Díaz placed Cibao in the lead, seconds into the start of the first leg, and will be looking to increase his tally as the Dominican side chases the upset.

Five key moments from the first leg

1. Historic Goal for Cibao FC – Juan David Díaz (COL) scored the first-ever goal for Cibao FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup, netting the fastest goal (00m51s) ever scored by a Dominican club since the 2008/2009 season. 

2. Dominican Clubs End Losing Streak – The 1-1 draw ended a four-match losing streak for Dominican clubs against Mexican teams, although they remain winless in the competition (L-4-D-1).  

3. Chivas’ 1-1 Away Draw Tradition – This was Chivas' third-ever 1-1 draw as a visitor in the Champions Cup, after similar results in 2007 against DC United (USA) and in 2012 against W Connection (TRI).  

4. Luis Rey’s Record-Setting Goal – Rey (MEX) scored Chivas’ 30th goal in the Champions Cup since 2008/2009, with his late header at 99m05s becoming the latest goal ever recorded by CD Guadalajara since the tournament’s format change.  

5. Chivas’ First-Ever Draw in Caribbean First-Leg Matches – Previously, they had lost 2-1 to W Connection (TRI) in 2007 and won 2-0 against Cibao FC (DOM) in 2018. This result also solidified Chivas as the Mexican club with the most 1-1 draws in Caribbean territory. 

Tigres UANL vs. Real Estelí FC 

Real Estelí FC is coming off a massive 1-0 win over Tigres, marking just the second time a Mexican team lost on Nicaraguan soil in this tournament.

The Central American Cup runners-up will look to cause an upset as the series shifts to Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico.

Francisco Grahl struck the lone goal of the first encounter in the 83’. Goalkeeper Fernando Tapia stood out for the Universitarios with four saves.

Tigres will be looking to boost its offense after only mustering up a single shot on target in the first leg.

Real Estelí hopes for another stellar defensive effort and a big performance from goalkeeper Jason Vega, who recorded the club’s first-ever clean sheet in the tournament.

Five key moments from the first leg

1. Grahl Joins Estelí’s History – Francisco Grahl (ARG) scored his first CCC goal, becoming the second Argentine to score for Real Estelí in the tournament.

2. Real Estelí’s Upset Over a Mexican Giant – This marked their second-ever victory over a Mexican club in CCC history, with the first being a 2-1 win against CF América in 2024.

3. Historic Defensive Feat – Real Estelí became the first Nicaraguan club to win a CCC match without conceding a goal.

4. Tigres’ Nicaraguan Struggles – Tigres UANL made unwanted history by becoming the first Mexican club to visit Nicaragua and fail to score in CCC history.

5. Tigres’ Away Woes Continue – With this loss, Tigres UANL extended their winless streak in CCC away matches to five games (L-2-D-3) and snapped their four-game winning streak against Central American clubs.