Although initially struggled to impose their supremacy on the field, little by little Sporting Cristal began to position themselves dangerously in Melgar's area. And something more important: they found the way to translate it on the scoreboard. When only the first 15 minutes of the match had passed, Yoshimar Yotún appeared surprisingly to decree the 1-0 at the Alberto Gallardo stadium.
It all started from the right side, after a great breakthrough by Jhilmar Lora. The young full-back applied all his power to position himself with an advantage and have enough space to cross the ball into the 'rojinegra' area. When the ball reached Brenner Marlos' position, the Brazilian forward headed but his shot hit the left post.
After the rebound, Yotún, who had been following the play from his position, stepped into the area and did not hesitate to take a powerful shot to take advantage of the rebound. Carlos Cáceda could do nothing to prevent the 1-0 against Pablo Lavallén's team, who will have to go out in search of equality so that the match does not become complicated as the minutes go by.
Sporting Cristal vs. Melgar: what's coming up
After this match for the fifth round of the Clausura Tournament, Sporting Cristal must focus on their participation in the 2023 Copa Libertadores, where they will face Nacional de Asunción in Phase 2, fighting for a place in the group stage of the continental tournament. The first leg of this tie is scheduled for Tuesday, February 21st at 5:00 p.m. in Paraguayan territory.
After this international commitment, Tiago Nunes' boys will face Deportivo Binacional for the sixth match of the Apertura. This match is scheduled for Friday, February 24th at 3:30 p.m. and will take place at the Monumental de la UNSA Stadium, located in the city of Arequipa.
Melgar, on the other hand, will play again on Sunday, the 26th of this month, when they host Sport Boys, also at the UNSA venue (6:00 p.m.). After the first defeat at home against Deportivo Municipal, Pablo Lavallén's team is obliged to add three points and not let more points slip away in front of their fans.
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