SAN PEDRO SULA – Luis Quinones scored late in the first half to give Liga MX side Tigres a 1-0 win at Honduran side Motagua in the first leg of the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday night at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
It was a tightly contest first half between the two sides, with the margins razor thin. Tigres were starting to carve out chances in the Motagua half, but it was not until the 44’ when they were able to finally breach the Motagua goal.
An out swinging corner kick was played in and initially batted away by Motagua GK Marlon Licona, but the ball fell right to Luis Quinones, who volleyed a shot home to hand Tigres a 1-0 lead at halftime.
⚽ ¡Gol de @TigresOficial!
— Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (@TheChampions) April 6, 2023
🐯 Quiñones marca de volea para poner el 1-0 en el marcador. #SCCL pic.twitter.com/4FJdHvNxyu
Tigres nearly doubled their lead early in the second stanza when a miscue from the Motagua defense almost resulted in an own goal, but Marlon Licona was alert and made a diving save to his left to prevent the goal.
Motagua went right to work in trying to get back on level terms and a tricky free kick from Diego Rodriguez on the hour mark forced Tigres GK Nahuel Guzman to stretch to tip the shot over the crossbar.
The game was very open in the final quarter-hour, with Motagua committing numbers forward in search of an equalizer, while Tigres were keen to tack on a second and take a sizable advantage back home for the return leg.
In the end, though, Quinones’ late first half goal would go down as the lone score, earning Tigres an important away victory.
