WATCH: Mexico's Lozano Scores for PSV in Champions League Qualifying Playoff Win
Hirving Lozano was sensationally denied once, but he made sure it didn't happen twice.
The Mexico star scored a fantastic go-ahead goal for PSV Eindhoven in its 3-2 Champions League qualifying playoff win at BATE Borisov on Tuesday, securing a 2-1 lead in the first leg of their series, from which the winner advances to the group stage. The match went back in forth in the final minutes, with Alexander Hleb equalizing briefly in the 88th minute for BATE before Donyell Malen restored the lead for PSV with the eventual winner a minute later.
Earlier, Lozano had a powerful first-half header acrobatically palmed off the line by Denis Scherbitski, but he got the best of the BATE goalkeeper in the 61st minute from outside of the box. He bent a right-footed strike from over 20 yards inside the right post, beating the diving Scherbitski for his third goal of the season in all competitions.
It would have been his second of the game if not for the earlier goalkeeper heroics.
Lozano was a breakout star for PSV last season, scoring 17 goals in his first season in Europe after a standout run at Pachuca. He earned plaudits for his play at the World Cup with Mexico, which included a game-winning goal vs. Germany in the teams' group opener, and had been linked to a Premier League move before remaining with his Dutch club.
Elsewhere in Champions League qualifying playoffs on Tuesday, Benfica was held to a 1-1 home draw by PAOK Athens, while Red Star Belgrade hosted Red Bull Salzburg in an empty stadium due to past fan racism and played to a 0-0 draw. The second legs are slated for next Wednesday prior to the Aug. 30 group draw.
