Fútbol Americano
Cesar Hernandez | ESPN FC 7y

Andres Guardado returns to full fitness with a bang; Ochoa, Granada in trouble

Andres Guardado was on fire for PSV Eindhoven, Granada continue to struggle and Marco Fabian was able to secure a crucial goal for Eintracht Frankfurt.

Here's a look back at the Heroes and Villains for the Mexicans in Europe.

Heroes

What a performance from Andres Guardado! The midfielder was awe-inspiring for PSV Eindhoven with his goal and three assists on Sunday's 5-0 win over Willem II. Following injury problems that kept him out of Mexico's two most recent matches, Guardado is clearly back to full health -- which is good news for El Tri fans who might be worried about the upcoming Confederations Cup tournament. Fellow countryman Hector Moreno unfortunately missed out on the fun for PSV and was left on the sidelines.

After allowing two early goals by Werder Bremen, both Eintracht Frankfurt and Marco Fabian fought back to earn a 2-2 draw at home on Saturday. Fabian, who was once again highly active in the attack, provided the second goal for his club off a penalty in the 73rd minute. Keeping in mind that the 27-year-old missed a penalty attempt a little over a week ago, the goal should prove to be an important one for Fabian.

The end of the season might be around the corner, but Porto are still in the running for the Portuguese title. Following a 3-0 win against Belenenses on Saturday, the Dragoes are just one point behind league-leaders Benfica. Despite a late entry into the game during the second half, Jesus Corona played a key role in the win with his impressive assist for Porto's second goal in the 70th minute. Hector Herrera, who was also starting on the bench, wasn't brought in until 76th minute. As for Miguel Layun, the defender wasn't added to the matchday roster and was left watching from the stands.

Diego Reyes and Espanyol are still in the chase for a Europa League spot. After Saturday's narrow 1-0 win over Deportivo Alaves, Espanyol are now just four points behind sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao. Thanks to Reyes' consistent and confident performances in the backline, it wouldn't be surprising if the defender on loan stays with the La Liga club who has an option to buy him this summer.

Villains

Problems for the underachieving Bayer Leverkusen continued into the weekend. Without a recovering Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, Die Werkself stumbled in the 1-0 away loss to RB Leipzig. In their last nine matches in all competitions, Leverkusen have only been able to collect one win. With a massive game set against Bayern Munich this Saturday, Leverkusen supporters will have their fingers crossed that Chicharito will be fully fit for the clash.

With each passing week, the odds of Granada avoiding relegation are becoming more and more slim. On Sunday, El Grana's porous backline led to a 3-1 loss at home against Valencia. Just a few days after stopping a penalty that helped secure an away point, goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was once again left with the responsibility of attempting to compensate for Granada's defensive mistakes. Sadly, Granada will need much more than highlight-worthy saves from Ochoa in order to remain in the Spanish first division.

Cesar Hernandez covers Liga MX and the Mexican national team for ESPN FC. Twitter: @cesarhfutbol.

^ Al Inicio ^