Alajuelense and Motagua Clash in Central American Cup Quarterfinals

According to Concacaf, the 2025 Central American Cup reaches its knockout stage with the Quarter Finals kicking off on Tuesday, as defending champions Liga Deportiva Alajuelense host FC Motagua at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica. The match brings together the only two teams to have reached the last eight in all three editions of the tournament.

Alajuelense enters the tie after finishing second in Group A with nine points and a 3-0-1 record. The two-time winners of the competition boast a flawless record in the Quarter Finals, having defeated Cartaginés 6-1 on aggregate in 2023 and Comunicaciones 3-2 in 2024.

Motagua topped Group C with eight points and an unbeaten 2-2-0 mark. The Blue Cyclone is aiming to reach new heights by winning a Quarter Final series for the first time.

This will be the eighth international meeting between the clubs, with Alajuelense holding a dominant record of six wins and one draw. Their most recent clash came in 2023, when Alajuelense earned a 5-1 victory thanks to a Joshua Navarro brace and goals from Doryan Rodríguez, Michael Barrantes, and Johan Venegas, while Agustín Auzmendi scored for the Hondurans.

Historically, Alajuelense has fared well against Honduran opposition, advancing in six of eleven knockout series. Motagua, however, has struggled against Costa Rican clubs, being eliminated ten times in twelve attempts. With history against them, the Hondurans will need something special to upset an Alajuelense side intent on extending its regional dominance.