Football
Cesar Hernandez 5y

Porto duo Hector Herrera, 'Tecatito' Corona shine for Mexico in Europe

With the return of the Champions League and Europa League, a number of Mexico's most prominent players have had the opportunity to gain highly valuable minutes during the midweek matches. In case you missed any of the games, here's a quick rundown of how each of them fared in the European competitions.

Hirving Lozano | PSV Eindhoven | Champions League

Against a Tottenham side that dominated possession, Lozano saw very little of the ball in the 2-1 loss. As PSV's highest-pressing player, the winger was left with the taxing responsibility of pressuring the opposition's back line and kick-starting counters. Although Lozano was a nuisance to the English club that fouled him six times, Tottenham eventually stole the spotlight with two late goals that secured a win.

Erick Gutierrez | PSV Eindhoven | Champions League

Gutierrez had a cameo appearance in Tuesday's defeat. After stepping onto the pitch in the 86th minute, the midfielder was quickly fouled in a dangerous position near Tottenham's 18-yard box. With a limited amount of time, the 23-year-old couldn't do much else other than provide a long and accurate pass down the right flank.

Hector Herrera | Porto | Champions League

Herrera was near perfect in the 4-1 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow. Earlier this week, the team captain once again thrived in the midfield as a vital distributor in the heart of the starting XI. More importantly, Herrera provided a goal and assist that secured another three points for Porto in Group D. As for the player's future, performances like these will only help strengthen the rumors of a potential move in Europe.

Jesus Corona | Porto | Champions League

"Tecatito" has found a way to maintain his newfound momentum. During Tuesday's win against Lokomotiv Moscow, the winger stepped up with a goal in the 67th minute for Porto. In his past five games in all competitions for the Portuguese club, Corona has accumulated two goals and three assists. It's still far too early to make predictions, but there's a decent chance that the Mexican is on his way to one of his best European seasons.

Diego Reyes | Fenerbahce | Europa League

Although Reyes was included in Fenerbahce's gameday roster, he was ultimately left without any minutes in the 2-0 victory over Anderlecht on Thursday. The 26-year-old defender has now gone three games in a row without a start in all competitions. After joining the Turkish club in late August, Reyes appears to still be adjusting to his new surroundings.

Miguel Layun | Villarreal | Europa League

Whether it be as a right or left wing-back, Layun was fairly average for Villarreal in their recent Europa League outing. The veteran offered little defensively and spent most of his time making conservative passes during the 0-0 draw with Rapid Wien. With only a couple dangerous crosses and a shot on target highlighting his impact in the attack, Layun was eventually substituted in the 62nd minute.

Guillermo Ochoa | Standard Liege | Europa League

After maintaining a 1-0 lead for most of the clash against Krasnodar, Standard Liege's back line quickly collapsed in the eventual 2-1 loss. Were it not for Ochoa's handful of saves, things could have been much worse for the Belgian side that is now sitting in third place in Group J. Only two games remain for the Standard Liege squad that has now distanced itself from a place in the knockout round.

Andres Guardado | Real Betis | Europa League

Following a return from injury last week, Guardado emerged as a substitute in the second half of Thursday's 1-1 draw with AC Milan. The midfielder, who nearly had the game-winner for Real Betis, took chances with daring shots and passes in the final third. Despite the fact that he couldn't help secure that much-desired second goal, the good news for Real Betis and Mexico fans is that Guardado now appears to be back to full fitness.

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