Pedro Gallese will be back in goal for Deportivo Cali when it faces Llaneros on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 4:10 p.m., after Rafael Dudamel confirmed the Peru goalkeeper will start. Gallese had been away with the Peru national team during the recent FIFA date, and Alejandro Rodríguez covered the position in his absence.
The change settles the main pre-match uncertainty for a Deportivo Cali side that treats the game as key in its bid to enter the top eight. Gallese’s return gives Dudamel his first-choice goalkeeper back for a match that carries direct weight in the standings, while Rodríguez steps aside after holding the position during the international break.
The timing matters because Deportivo Cali - Llaneros comes immediately after the FIFA window, when squads are often reshaped by national-team callups and the return of regular starters. For Cali, the issue was not whether Gallese was available in principle, but whether he would be ready to resume in such an important league match.
That question has now been answered. Dudamel has gone with Gallese, and the focus shifts to execution on Sunday as Deportivo Cali tries to turn a confirmed lineup into points that keep its top-eight push alive.
