Alianza Lima officially announced its squad list for the match against Sporting Cristal on the night of the last Friday before the game, and the headline was clear: Paolo Guerrero was back, while Alan Cantero was out. The match was set for the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva, with Alianza leading the Torneo Apertura on 32 points and Cristal arriving in 13th place with 15.
Guerrero returned after being sidelined by a lumbar problem, one that kept him out of Alianza Lima’s 2-1 win over CD Moquegua. His presence gives Pablo Guede another attacking option for a game that carries real weight because the team is trying to protect its place at the top of the table.
Cantero, by contrast, was not included in Guede’s list. The coaching staff decided to rest him, with the strongest indication being that he had not fully recovered in time for the Sporting Cristal match. The club sees him most likely returning in the next game, either against Cienciano in Cusco or against Los Chankas at Matute.
There is also a problem on the right side of the lineup. Luis Advíncula did not make the squad after being suspended for one match for accumulating five yellow cards. He was booked against CD Moquegua, and his absence leaves Guede with a hole in a section of the field that could matter in a match where every detail is being watched.
The timing adds to the pressure on Alianza. A leader playing at home against a side down in 13th always carries a different kind of expectation, and this one comes with personnel changes that force quick adjustments. Guerrero is back. Cantero is not. Advíncula is suspended. That is the shape of the night Alianza Lima - Sporting Cristal now has to deliver.
