Alianza wins where the ‘U’ suffers: The weight of a good squad to be the only leader of the Apertura

It is not a secret, nor do we discover gunpowder if we say so; but it is necessary to emphasize it: Alianza Lima, the club that signed its two-time championship last year, strengthened itself this 2023 as few teams have done in recent years. Guillermo Salas has practically two teams to compete in the Libertadores and sweep the local tournament. And that is just being seen on each date. Barely 62 hours after beating Libertad in Paraguay for the Cup -and ending once and for all the 30-game winless streak in the tournament-, the intimates did not have any problems and defeated Unión Comercio 3-1 in Tarapoto to be more leaders than ever of the Opening.

There was hardly any rest time. Alianza left Asunción, arrived in Lima and with them headed for the Peruvian jungle. Complicated schedule (1 in the afternoon), it must be said, with two times to cool off in the middle of the match. But even so, the blue and whites carried out a match that keeps them in the top of the Apertura with 27 points in eleven games. They are five from their closest pursuer, University (receives Cristal tomorrow at the Monumental), and with one less game. If things are painted blue and white, they will pass the next date, in which they rest, as pointers without anyone removing their position.

And in the eleven that Salas commanded, it is also explained why Alianza is the one with the best squad in the tournament. Before Unión Comercio, ‘Chicho’ made changes and put six “substitutes” in relation to the team that one has in mind with the starters. Of them, anyone can be a fundamental piece in the teams of the League 1. Proof of this: the ‘Pirate’ signed a double and indirectly participated in the great goal from Gino Peruzzi.

This hierarchy is reflected in the results and is what sets it apart from the rest. The intimate, for example, have only lost one Apertura game this year (not counting the ‘walk over’ against Cristal) and it was against Sport Huancayo on a visit. Afterwards, they won everything they played. They are one hundred percent efficient at home (four wins, nine goals for, zero against) and they celebrated in five of their Matute outings.

As quoted by the statistician Jesús Chirinos from Son Datos No Opiniones, Alianza has won in League 1 where others have not been able to: Monumental stealing points from the ‘U’, Cajamarca, Piura twice and Tarapoto.

Alliance does what the U cannot

The difference of five points between alliance and academic in the table of positions it is interpreted in what one could do and not the other. Beginning by turning the locality into a synonym of unbreakable strength. While the intimates win everything they play in Matute, their fort; Universitario missed three points at the Monumental and precisely in the direct duel: they lost in the classic against the Victorians in February.

The blow was such that, after closing a negative streak of three defeats in a row, Carlos Compagnucci He was fired from the institution and his replacement, Jorge FossatiDespite getting six wins and a draw in their seven games, they have not been able to reverse the situation. Now, the creams have a tough challenge against Cristal this Monday at the Monumental. If they don’t win, they could say goodbye to the first championship of the year.

In what each visit did, there is also the difference between the two.

The blue and whites also won in height (1-0 against UTC in Cajamarca) and although the ‘U’ also (2-1 against Binacional in Cusco), they let go of a draw against Deportivo Garcilaso. On the other hand, the intimates were victorious in their two visits to the north (they defeated Alianza Atlético and Atlético Grau); The creams lost to Mannucci and they still have to go to Sullana (vs. Alianza Atlético) and Cajamarca (vs. UTC), in addition to visiting Sport Huancayo in Huancayo, the only place where Alianza lost.

The path is marked. Those led by ‘Chicho’ Salas have seven games ahead of them, five of them at home and only two outings to the interior of the country (vs. Melgar in Arequipa and against ADT in Tarma). On the other side of the path, Fossati’s men have seven games left but with four visits (vs. Boys at the Monumental -although it sounds strange-, Alianza Atlético, UTC and Sport Huancayo).