This time the plan did work: Alianza got a golden point in Chile and is still alive in the Cup | CHRONICLE

And Alianza, with its almost non-existent attacking weapons, depending on some defensive error or the speed of Kevin Serna, had options to achieve the feat. Serna himself had a couple on his feet in the second half, although he was very well covered by his rivals. And, a few minutes before the end of the match, De Santis incredibly missed a clear scoring chance after a great play by the Colombian nationalized Peruvian. Restrepo’s gesture on the bench, as if wondering what his team’s ‘9’ who entered in the second half for Hernán Barcos, did, illustrates the play.

Alianza suffered, of course. It is the most logical thing when you only dedicate yourself to defending and the rival goal is very far away. Same plan as in Paraguay against Cerro Porteño last game. And also with the risk of losing with a goal in the final minute, as happened in the Paraguayan capital.

This time it was not like that because the blue and white team learned from their mistakes. With Zambrano and Garcés impassable, Ramos and Freytes applied, and Rodríguez, in the middle, sacrificed; Ángelo Campos did not have extra work. There was a shot against the post in the first half, but the Colocolinos did no more damage. They had no ability to break through the intimate defense. Marcos Huamán, who came on in the second half, was very active on the mark and closed the left wing. Freytes, on the left, did the same.

Alianza returns to Peru with a valuable point. He has two in three dates in group A of the Libertadores. In their three games they presented themselves as a team that knows itself to be inferior, that knows its weaknesses and prefers to give up possession of the ball to go on the counterattack. Thus they tied the champion Fluminense at home and thus took a point from Colo Colo. The challenge is what’s coming: they will host Cerro Porteño and Colo Colo in the next two days. That is, he will be forced to propose, to seek to win it by attacking. Only there will the 0-0 achieved on Chilean soil be valued.

Watch Jeriel de Santis’ incredible ruling: