Football
Cesar Hernandez 6y

Hirving Lozano, Jesus Corona highlight Mexico players in European matches

With the UEFA Champions League and Europa League now underway, a number of Mexico's most prominent players have had the opportunity to gain highly valuable minutes during the recent mid-week matches. In case you missed any of the games, here's a quick rundown on how each of the players fared in the European competitions.

Hirving Lozano -- PSV Eindhoven (UEFA Champions League)

Although things aren't looking rosy for the PSV side that is now sitting at the bottom of its Champions League group, a significant silver-lining is the latest performance from Lozano. During the 2-1 loss to Inter Milan on Wednesday, the Mexican winger stepped up as one of the more dangerous players on the pitch. Lozano emerged as a creative playmaker for PSV in the defeat and was unlucky to only finish with one assist.

Erick Gutierrez -- PSV Eindhoven (UEFA Champions League)

The 23-year-old midfielder -- who joined PSV in late August -- was left on the bench without any minutes against Inter Milan.

Jesus Corona -- Porto (UEFA Champions League)

Corona looked like his old self on Wednesday. Following a noteworthy drop in form over the last several months, "Tecatito" took charge for Porto in the recent 1-0 Champions League victory over Galatasaray. The diminutive winger looked lively on the right flank through his runs and clever crosses into the 18-yard-box. Were it not for a well-timed save from Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, Corona could have easily found a goal in the second half.

Hector Herrera -- Porto (UEFA Champions League)

Herrera had a quiet yet resolute match for Porto earlier this week. The captain covered an immense amount of ground as a flexible midfielder who was involved in much of the build-up toward the final third. It wasn't a vintage performance from the the 28-year-old, but it also won't hurt his chances with the long list of rumored clubs that are reportedly keeping an eye on him.

Diego Reyes -- Fenerbahce (UEFA Europa League)

During Thursday's Europa League battle against Spartak Trnava, Reyes was once again included in Fenerbahce's starting XI. With some help from the Mexican defender who was on the left-hand side of a 3-man backline, Fenerbahce were able to earn a 2-0 victory. Reyes had little trouble to deal with on his end of the defense and spent most of the game providing a number of passes going forward.

Andres Guardado -- Real Betis (UEFA Europa League)

Whether it be for club or country, Guardado rarely disappoints. In the mid-week Europa League match against Dudelange, the Real Betis captain was a key figure for the Spanish side that walked away with a 3-0 victory. The veteran appeared active as an attack-minded midfielder who frequently took charge of corners and set-pieces. Once he was substituted out in the 61st minute, a vocal portion of the local support began to sing his name as he walked off.

Miguel Layun -- Villarreal (UEFA Europa League)

Layun had a cameo role in a dramatic 3-3 Europa League draw against Spartak Moscow. During Thursday's away game, the versatile defender/midfielder stepped onto the pitch in the 77th minute. With only a limited amount of time to make an impact, the 30-year-old's noteworthy contributions consisted of a couple of dangerous passes in the final third of the opposition's defensive space.

Guillermo Ochoa -- Standard Liege (UEFA Europa League)

After an error from the goalkeeper which lead to the lone goal allowed, Ochoa did a decent job of bouncing back in the 2-1 Europa League win for Standard Liege over Akhisarspor. Following his mistake, the Mexican international provided a couple of crucial saves and clearances for the Belgian side. Nevertheless, plenty will be sure to discuss his error in the 1st half which nearly cost Standard Liege the game.

Note: Eintracht Frankfurt left Marco Fabian and the injured Carlos Salcedo out of their Europa League team registration. If the German clubs reaches the round of 32 for the tournament, they could potentially include them through a subsequent registration which would allow three new players.

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