Mercado keeps up hot streak, Angulo debuts with a win as Ecuadorians open Europa League campaign

The UEFA Europa League league phase kicked off and Ecuadorian players wasted no time leaving their mark on matchday one. There was a bit of everything: an encouraging goal, a promising debut, and a couple of names left with fewer minutes than they would have liked.

John Mercado finds the net again

The Ecuadorian winger is on a roll. John Mercado scored in Sparta Prague's 4-1 rout on the road against Ararat-Armenia, in the match that opened the league phase for the Czech club. It was no ordinary goal for the player's personal stats: it marked his fifth goal of the season, a number that confirms he's in fine form in front of goal.

Nilson Angulo debuts with a win

In England, Nilson Angulo made his first appearance in the competition. The Ecuadorian came on in the 67th minute in Sunderland's 1-0 win over AZ and made a solid impression in his limited time on the field: he got involved in the attack and came close to scoring, though his best chance didn't end up in the net. A debut that should help build his confidence going forward.

The picture looked different for the other two Ecuadorian representatives, who had to settle for more limited roles on this opening matchday.

Estupiñán stuck on the bench, Kevin Rodríguez with little time to make an impact

Pervis Estupiñán didn't leave the bench in Milan's 0-2 loss to Benfica, a tough blow for the Italian side in its European opener. The fullback went without minutes in a match that got away from the Rossoneri early on.

Meanwhile, Kevin Rodríguez returned to action after completing his physical recovery and came on in the 63rd minute in Union SG's 3-0 road win over Viktoria Plzeň. The forward entered with the result already decided in his team's favor and looked to add to the lead, though he couldn't convert the chances that came his way. Even so, getting minutes after time out injured counts as good news for him.

With this start to the league phase, the Ecuadorians now face different scenarios heading into the coming matchdays: while Mercado looks to keep up his scoring form and Angulo will try to earn a bigger role after his debut, Estupiñán and Rodríguez will have to fight to win back playing time at their respective clubs.