Cajamarca hosted Atlético Grau at Estadio Eres de San Ramón on Thursday evening, losing 1:3 in the Clausura's sixth round. The hosts took the lead through Brandon Palacios in the twentieth minute, but a penalty awarded after VAR intervention turned the match. To be fair, the visitors had been improving on the road all season, though this was their most complete performance yet.
Palacios' opener came from open play, setting up what looked like a comfortable afternoon for the home side. Then came the turning point: Adrián De la Cruz won a penalty in the thirty-fifth minute, converted by Patricio Álvarez two minutes later. And here's the thing about penalties — they change everything, not just the scoreline. Atlético Grau took the lead and Cajamarca never quite recovered their shape.
Lucas Acevedo restored parity in the fifty-sixth minute, but Pablo Lavandeira sealed the victory from the spot in the eighty-second. The home side had made changes at half-time, bringing on Luis Benites, but they couldn't find the equaliser. By then, the momentum had shifted decisively, and despite eight substitutions between the two sides, the result was never in doubt.
The statistics tell an interesting story. Cajamarca dominated possession at 59 per cent and created more attacks — 109 to 76 — but their shot accuracy of 25 per cent meant chances went begging. Atlético Grau were more clinical, with 33 per cent shot accuracy and three big chances created compared to one for the hosts. The visitors also made more clearances, 31 to nine, suggesting they absorbed pressure and struck on the counter.
The result leaves Cajamarca in sixteenth place with 25 points from 25 games, while Atlético Grau move up to twelfth with 29 points from 24 matches. The home side haven't won since their fourth-round clash and now face a difficult run if they want to avoid the drop. Three points away from safety would be a realistic target for the visitors in their next fixture.