Cusco saw off UTK 4:1 in the third round of the Clausura tournament on Friday night. The hosts took control early with an Ivan Colman penalty before Facundo Callejo struck twice to set up a comfortable evening. And here's the thing — the match was essentially decided before the visitors had found their rhythm.
Yellow cards came thick and fast in the opening exchanges. Diego Soto and Bruno Duarte both received bookings before the 30-minute mark, while Adolfo Munoz joined them shortly after. Colman then stepped up to convert a penalty in the 32nd minute, giving Cusco the lead they would not relinquish.
The second half opened with a substitution for UTK, but the game opened up for the hosts. Callejo made it two in the 61st minute and added another in the 67th, putting the result beyond doubt. Lucas Colitto and Munoz then rounded off the scoring in quick succession, with the latter finding the net in the 71st minute.
By then the visitors had lost their shape. Duarte picked up a second yellow card in the 83rd minute after already being cautioned earlier, and UTK were forced to play with ten men while chasing the game. Callejo came close to adding a fourth with a penalty miss in the 90th minute, but the damage was already done.
Cusco dominated possession at 57 per cent and created four big chances compared to UTK's single opportunity. The hosts registered six shots on target from eleven attempts, while the visitors managed just three shots on target from ten attempts despite having more possession in certain periods. UTK also completed fewer tackles and lost more aerial duels in the air.
The result moves Cusco further clear in fifth place with 42 points from 25 matches, while UTK remain rooted to the bottom of the table on 15 points. The visitors have now lost 13 of their 25 fixtures this season and have yet to find consistency.