Preview | LAFC vs. Real Spain – Concacaf Champions Cup
Tuesday, Feb. 24 | 7:00 pm PT
🏟 | BMO Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
With development to the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 on the road, LAFC hosts Real España at BMO Stadium for the second leg of their two-match sequence in CCC Round One.
LAFC opened its 2026 season with a 4,600-mile spherical journey to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, final week for its first-leg match towards Real España, and took a 6-1 lead on mixture (mixed) objectives over the Honduran membership. The winner on mixture over the 2 matches will transfer on to face Costa Rican aspect LD Alajuelense in one other two-leg matchup within the CCC Round of 16 in mid-March.
LEG ONE LOOKBACK
Denis Bouanga, Son Heung-Min, David Martínez and Timothy Tillman every scored within the first half as LAFC cruised to a 5-0 lead over Real España at Estadio Francisco Morazán final week. Son (three assists) and Bouanga (two objectives) had a hand in all 5 first-half scores, persevering with their scorching type after combining for 25 objectives and eight assists over the past 4 months of 2025.
Real España discovered the again of the online within the 51st minute, then Bouanga accomplished his hat trick within the 71st minute, ending a feed from Sergi Palencia to make the ultimate rating 6-1.
Real España produced occasional hazard within the match. In the forty fourth minute midfielder Jhow Benavidez unleashed a proper-footed rocket from 25 yards away that LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris barely acquired a finger on earlier than he clanged off the crossbar. Seconds later Benavidez curled in a free kick from distance that Gonzalo Ritacco headed sharply on body, however proper into Lloris’ arms.
Real España pulled a objective again within the 51st minute when a Benavidez free kick rocketed off the pinnacle of his teammate, Honduras National Team midfielder Jack Jean-Baptiste, and previous Lloris. If nothing else, LAFC can work on its set-piece defending on Tuesday evening towards a aspect that clearly takes such alternatives severely.
LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos is not taking a look at this as an evening off, although. “We didn’t finish our job yet with Real España,” Dos Santos instructed the media on the eve of Tuesday’s rematch, “so our approach is to try to finish the work we have, and qualify for the next stage.”
WHAT TO EXPECT IN LEG TWO
Unless LAFC loses by six objectives on its house turf, the Black & Gold will advance previous Real España and into the Round of 16. Given LAFC’s wholesome lead and the present workload on its gamers, Tuesday may current a chance for Dos Santos to discover his aspect’s depth. LAFC stands amid a glut of video games—4 in 12 days. The final of these is a 1,400-mile flight to Houston this Saturday to face the Dynamo in an MLS common-season sport.
Asked whether or not Tuesday would possibly present a chance for gamers who have not gotten many minutes to this point this 12 months to see some motion, Dos Santos mentioned, “I’ve always said that everyone’s going to be important in the run we have. With four games in [twelve] days we’re going to need everyone to play apart.”
Of observe: Bouanga is tied with Luka Romero of Cruz Azul for many objectives to this point within the competitors (3). Bouanga gained the Concacaf Champions Cup Golden Boot in 2023.
They are at the moment leads the match in assists (3) and objective contributions (4).
SINCE WE LAST MET
On Saturday evening LAFC started its 2026 MLS common season with a 3-0 win over reigning MLS Cup champions Inter Miami CF within the second-highest attended sport in MLS historical past.
With 75,673 watching contained in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, David Martínez (38′), Denis Bouanga (73′), and Nathan Ordaz (90+4′) dealt with the scoring whereas LAFC’s swarming protection allowed simply three pictures on course to achieve Lloris, who stopped all three.
On Friday, Feb. 20, Real España jumped out to a 4-0 lead over Lobos UPNFM in a league match in Honduras’ first division, earlier than conceding 3 times within the second half to flee with a 4-3 win. Midfielders Benavidez and Nixon Cruz scored one objective every for Real España; striker Eddie Hernandez scored two.
ABOUT REAL SPAIN
Nicknamed Los Aurinegros (gold and black), Real Club Deportivo España was based 96 years in the past and performs in Honduras’ high division, the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras. Real España has gained the league title 12 instances and earned its place on this 12 months’s CCC by reaching the semifinals of the 2025 Central American Cup.
As detailed in final week’s first-leg previewReal España goalie Luis “Buba” Lopez performed for LAFC in 2018 whereas on mortgage from Real España. The Honduras worldwide has earned greater than 50 caps for its nationwide workforce.
ABOUT CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP
The 61st version of the Concacaf Champions Cup can be performed between February and May 2026, and options the highest 27 golf equipment from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Round One will start in early February, adopted by the Round of 16 in March, the Quarterfinals in April, the Semifinals spanning April and May, and the Final on Saturday, May 30.
Round One: February 3–26, 2026
Round of 16: March 10–19, 2026
Quarterfinals: April 7–16, 2026
Semifinals: April 28–May 7, 2026
Final: Saturday, May 30, 2026
