“A classic in a final is attractive” and “I want the best to arrive”: the opinion of journalism on a possible definition between the ‘U’ and Alianza Lima

The compadres are the clear animators of the first part of League 1, for this reason, El Comercio sought the opinion of five renowned national sports journalists to answer three questions about the pleasant moment that the Peruvian tournament is experiencing with Alianza Lima and Universitario competing elbow to elbow.

• Is Alianza Lima the great favorite of the year? Because?
• Would you like a final between U and AL in December. Because?
• Will Sporting Cristal be able to come back or what other team do you see fighting for the ‘Play-offs’ of League 1?

Eddie Fleischman – Willax TV

1. He is the favorite because he is close to winning the Apertura, with which he would be close to the definition for the title and because he has the best squad in the middle.

2. I would like a final between two teams that have had -in our context- the best performances and regularity. If it turns out to be a classic, it would acquire a greater attraction, undoubtedly due to the historical rivalry between the two.

3. Cristal, Melgar, Cusco, Vallejo -apart from AL and the U- can fight the Clausura. In the accumulated it seems to me that AL and the U have an advantage because they have more qualified teams and have already taken a certain advantage.

Michael Succar – Movistar Sports

1. I think that Alianza Lima started the year as a great favorite because of the squad it put together and how it started, but it no longer seems to me that it was the only favorite, it is shared with the ‘U’, since it is very even. Since Fossati arrived and with the latest ups and downs that Alianza is showing, things have evened out a lot and I no longer play it because he is the great favorite of the year, but I did think that when the season began. Now it is 50 and 50 with Universitario de Deportes.

2. A final between the ‘U’ and Alianza makes for a very special match, which enhances everything: emotions, the number of people watching the match, rivalry, analysis, controversy, conversation on the street. That will explain that it has been a season in which the two have been fighting at the top. So, it’s not just the match, the pre-match, the post-match, the season itself, everything becomes more intense. But it’s not that I want them to reach the final because they are the ‘U’ or Alianza Lima, but rather that I want the best to reach the final and if both are the best, they offer you not only a special match, but a whole special context . Telling you both to arrive seems unfair to the other clubs, but if I describe to you what it would generate to see them in a final, something that hasn’t happened in a long time.

3. I believe that Cristal is going to improve anyway, if I have a candidate who is going to get closer to the ‘U’ or Alianza Lima. I don’t know if it will be enough for him to fight on par, but it will depend on the reinforcements he brings in in the middle of the season, because it seems to me that he can improve and he won’t be as far away as he is now, he will get close at least. But if he will get closer to the ‘U’ or Alianza it will depend on the reinforcements he brings, from what he has now, it seems to me that he can improve, play better, but to keep up with the other clubs he has to strengthen himself and that will depending on how close you can get, close distance or fight for the title.

Jampool Cuadros – América TV

1. At the rate that Alianza and Universitario are going, the margin of error will be minimal for both of them. Starting the Clausura from scratch, the candidates for national champion are both.

2. A classic in a final is always attractive, but you have to be cautious. Alianza is preventing this situation.

3. Cristal could be a great entertainer if she focuses solely on the local tournament. First, the image of still being an irregular team must be removed. Vallejo is another team that can fight.

Rodrigo Morales – DirecTV Sports

1. Yes, he is the great favorite because of the squad he put together and the confidence they have in themselves. The ceiling is very high for Alianza Lima.

2. It always has a special charm, a classic, even more so in definitive instances. The main winner would undoubtedly be the football fan.

3. Cristal is going to have to reinforce himself for the Clausura if he wants to catch up with the Alliance and the ‘U’. Let’s not rule out Cusco FC, Vallejo and Deportivo Garcilaso with Jorge Célico.

Fernanda Huapaya – RPP

1. Alianza Lima is the favorite of the year for having strengthened what they had been working on in 2021 and 2022. Its differential is having the best squad in League 1 and an effective game that is reflected in important brands such as the undefeated in Matute and just two losses in the local tournament so far.

2. Yes, I would like a final between U and Alianza Lima because, since Fossati’s arrival, the ‘U’ put together a good team, found a formula and became the best team in League 1 together with the Blue and Whites. Beyond rivalries off the field that give it an emotional, historical and considerable charge. A classic final that has not been experienced since 2009 would find them both very competitive if they continue along the same lines in the Clausura Tournament.

3. Cristal is an irregular team in the Opening Tournament. But he does have chances to fight for the ‘Playoffs’, considering that they can be strengthened in the mid-year market and because Tiago Nunes is a coach who has managed to show the good face of the team as it happened in the previous phase of the Copa Libertadores. Other chances can be had by Cusco FC and César Vallejo, in my opinion.