Fortaleza defeated Boca Juniors 4-2 on Thursday, with two goals from Argentine Juan Martín Lucero and three assists from his compatriot Tomás Pochettino, placing the Brazilian team at the top of Group D in the Copa Sudamericana.

Boca Juniors struggled at the Arena Castelão, where they only showed resistance in the first half and then faltered in the second, resulting in a defeat uncharacteristic of a six-time Libertadores champion.

Lucero opened the scoring for the Lions, and Merentiel equalized, but Fortaleza unleashed their attack after halftime with goals from Lucero again and two more from Yago Pikachu. Special mention goes to Pochettino, who provided three assists.

Boca managed to narrow the scoreline towards the end of the match through Kevin Zenón.

This defeat complicates matters for the Buenos Aires team, as they now sit in second place with four points, five behind Fortaleza.

In the other match of the group, Paraguayan Sportivo Trinidense earned their first three points by defeating Bolivian side Nacional Potosí 2-0, who are at the bottom with one point.

In the Sudamericana, only the top team in each group advances directly to the round of 16, while the second-placed team must compete in a playoff against one of the third-placed teams from the Libertadores group stage.

The match tonight couldn't have started better for Juan Pablo Vojvoda's team.

Less than five minutes had passed when Boca's defense faltered, Figal made a mistake, and gifted the ball to Pochettino, who quickly played a through pass to Lucero.

The Argentine forward entered the box and finished past Sergio Romero.

However, Boca's joy was short-lived. Around the fifteenth minute, the xeneize team regrouped and started to grow despite the high pressure from the home side.

They didn't have to wait long to find the equalizer. A combination between Langoni and Saralegui resulted in a cross and a first-time finish from Merentiel, a familiar face in Brazilian football after his time at Palmeiras.

With the score level, Fortaleza relied on a strike from Yago Pikachu, the team's standard-bearer, capable of playing as a full-back, winger, attacking midfielder, and even as a forward, wherever needed.

Fortaleza regained intensity after halftime. Zé Welison first threatened with a long-range shot, and then the hurricane struck.

Lucero scored the second from a set-piece taken by Pochettino. Everyone expected a long cross, but he played a soft ball into the area for the header by the number 9.

Pochettino also provided the assist for Pikachu's first goal, who finished with little angle past Romero.

And there was still Pikachu's second goal to come, chested in easily after a poor cross from Machuca that went over Romero, who had an off night. Zenón scored the 4-2 in the final minutes for a Boca team that disappointed in Brazilian territory.