Head coach Diego Alonso (pictured) has Pachuca on the edge of a fifth CONCACAF club title. (Photo: Mexsport)

PACHUCA, Mexico – Pachuca head coach Diego Alonso knows the significance of Wednesday’s Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League final, second-leg encounter against visiting Tigres.

“For us it is the most important match of the year, or at least the season,” he said at a press conference Tuesday.  “We know what it means.”

The Tuzos hold an away-goal advantage after last Tuesday’s opener ended in a 1-1 at the Estadio Universitario.  A 0-0 draw would be enough for them to clinch a second-ever SCCL title and fifth CONCACAF championship overall. 

Alonso is expecting another tightly-contested affair between Mexico’s last two champions.

“The final will be even, although we have a slight advantage because of the away goal,” remarked the 42-year-old Uruguayan.  “We are on equal footing.  There are no favorites in tomorrow’s match.”

In addition to playing at home -- where it’s unbeaten in 14 all-time SCCL games (13W-1D-0L) -- Pachuca will have some fresh legs on the field, as seven starters from last week’s first leg were rested over the weekend in the 1-0 Liga MX Clausura loss at Atlas.

Alonso isn’t planning to veer away from the tactics that have brought the Tuzos to the final.

“We are not going to make ourselves defend the whole match nor are we going to change radically the strategy,” he finished.  “We will take precautions due to their quality, for the movements that they can make, but the posture will be the same that we have normally.”