Alianza Lima beat Alianza Atletico 3:1 in the Clausura third round on Saturday evening. The home side had lost their head-to-head fixture just weeks before, but recovered from an early setback to extend their lead at the top of the Primera standings.
And here's the thing about these fixtures — momentum shifts fast. E. Castillo opened the scoring in the fourteenth minute, but J. Ingratti equalised twelve minutes later. The visitors looked comfortable enough, until Paolo Guerrero picked up a yellow card on thirty-two minutes and the game began to tighten.
The turning point came in the fifty-first minute when W. Guzman turned the ball into his own net. By then Alianza Atletico had already seen Guzman receive a second yellow card and get sent off in the fifty-seventh, and the visitors were playing with ten men. It paid for a sloppy opening, as the home side took control.
J. Velez added a third goal in the seventy-ninth minute to put the result beyond doubt. Alianza Atletico's manager made changes — G. A. Larios Saavedra came off in the seventy-third, A. Munoz booked shortly after — but the damage was done. Alianza Lima brought on J. del Castillo in the sixty-sixth and E. Castillo in the eighty-fourth, managing the game well.
The statistics tell the story of dominance. Alianza Lima held 74 per cent possession, took thirteen shots with five on target, and created two big chances. Alianza Atletico managed only seven shots, four on target, and one big chance — they had nothing to do all evening once the red card arrived.
The result keeps Alianza Lima top of the table with 53 points from 25 games, while Alianza Atletico remain eighth on 37 points. The home side's recent form had been uneven, but this performance showed they can raise the tempo when they need to.