TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Olimpia made a pair of first-half goals standup to earn a 2-0 win over visiting Alajuelense in their 2017 Scotiabank CONCACAF League Round of 16, first-leg match at the Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino on Thursday.

The sides – both past CONCACAF club champions -- will meet again on August 10, with the Honduran power needing only a draw to advance.

Carlo Costly gave the host a 1-0 lead in the second minute, when he ran onto an Alex Lopez through ball and burst into the right side of the box.  As goalkeeper Mauricio Vargas came out to cut down the angle, the veteran forward sent a low, left-footed shot from 17-yards out into the middle of the net.

Olimpia’s lead was doubled in the 25th minute thanks to some neat aerial play.  Gerson Rodas delivered a free kick from the left wing into the right side of the box for Roger Rojas, who headed to the left post.  

There, Kevin Alvarez somehow eluded the attention of two defenders to head just inside the left post from three-yards out.

Alajuelense had a chance to halve the deficit in the 70th minute, but Jonathan McDonald was thwarted at point-blank range by goalkeeper Donis Escober.