Cruz Azul can take one step closer to a second straight trip to the CONCACAF Champions League final Wednesday night when it meets Panamanian side Arabe Unido in the second leg of its quarterfinal at Estadio Azul.

La Maquina have the 1-0 edge after Cristian Riveros scored the winner with a header in the 70th minute in La Chorrera last week.

Cruz Azul returned to the Mexican Clausura on Sunday, rallying to beat Toluca 3-2 at Estadio Nemesio Diez.

Argentine Emanuel Villa scored twice, including the winner with nine minutes remaining, while fellow Argentine Maxi Biancucchi also scored in the 60th minute for Cruz Azul.

After the match, Cruz Azul coach Enrique Meza publically addressed Jose Jesus Corona's off-field problems. He has been accused of attacking a man in a bar in Guadalajara last month.

Corona put his personal problems behind him on Sunday, saving Antonio "Sinha" Naelson's penalty kick in the second half.

"I believe that the problems of a football team are all (our) problems, even if someone wants to isolate, it is impossible when one partner is having a problem like this," Meza said. "But it is a sensitive issue, warning us never to make mistakes in this same manner. Fortunately, (Corona) helped us bring an important victory today."

Meza also praised the play of Biancucchi, the cousin of Barcelona great Lionel Messi, for setting up two goals and scoring one.

"They're good players and that's why they're here," Meza said. "Some are beginning to bear fruit. There are players that expand a bit, but they are very good players and we knew they were. They knew they had a very important commitment and today the most important thing was that we got the win."

Cruz Azul is unbeaten in five straight Clausura matches, having won three games in a row. La Maquina are tied for Pumas UNAM for second in Group 3 with 17 points, four behind Santos Laguna.

After missing five months because of a right knee injury, Cruz Azul midfielder Alejandro Vela returned to the field Sunday against Toluca.

"I'm happy, I had anxiously awaited this moment," Vela said. "It was a pain to watch the matches from the stands or on TV, and now that I had to enter and turn around a difficult game leaves me happy."

Arabe Unido welcomes back Armando Cooper, Francisco Castaneda and goalkeeper Carlos Bejarano from a one-game suspension that carried over from the group stage, but will be without leading scorer Orlando Rodriguez and midfielder Camilo Aguirre, who are injured.