LDU thrash Flu in Sudamericana final first leg

LDU de Quito of Ecuador have opened up a hefty lead in the two-legged Copa Sudamericana final after thrashing Brazilian club Fluminense 5-1 in Quito on Wednesday.

Incredibly, Fluminense led after less than a minute through Marquinho before Edison Mendez notched a hat-trick by the hour mark. Substitute Franklin Salas and former Aston Villa defender Ulises de la Cruz added further goals late in the match to leave Fluminense with a mountain to climb in the reverse fixture next Wednesday.

Marquinho pounced on a parried shot in the opening moments of the game to give the visitors a precious lead in the altitude of Quito, but they struggled from that point on, with Mendez unleashing two long-range thunderbolts to swing the advantage in LDU's favour before half time.

He completed his hat-trick with a 60th minute header and then assisted Salas for his side's fourth, before de la Cruz put the icing on the cake with a 30-metre strike of his own in the dying minutes.