Pedro Sarabia: his analysis of S. Cristal, the strategy to follow, and the need to qualify in the Cup.

Sporting Cristal will receive Nacional de Asunción tonight, for the passage to the third phase of the 2023 Copa Libertadores. The Peruvian team must create all the necessary opportunities, as they need to reverse the result they had in the first leg (they lost 2-0). Paraguayan coach Pedro Sarabia is aware of this, so he already has his strategy planned.

“It is a very important match, a match that we have to be very smart. We know the opponent's need to score early goals, but we will try to counteract that and play our own game,” said the coach at a press conference before traveling to Lima. He also briefly explained what they plan to do on the field.

Taking into account the first look they had at the Peruvian team last Tuesday in Asunción, the 47-year-old coach said " we are studying the triangulations they have in the midfield, there is a need to consider that they have an obligation to include one more forward, we have to be prepared and know how to harm the opponent ”.

Finally, he did not hesitate to express the feeling that the coaching staff and the team have about this match. " We have the obligation to defend the series in the best way, knowing that there are 90 minutes left, and we have to know how to play, read, and execute this type of matches ”, he explained.

In the first leg, the Paraguayan team managed to contain Sporting Cristal's energy during the first half and then score two goals by Roberto Martínez and Gustavo Aguilar in the second half. Although there were opportunities for Tiago Nunes' team, they were not able to convert them into goals.

However, after Yoshimar Yotún's departure, there was doubt about whether he would be considered for the second leg. According to the team's latest practices, the Peruvian midfielder would be in optimal conditions to play, although it will depend on the decision of the Celeste coach whether he starts or comes off the bench.

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