Peru defeats Scotland in friendly match

The Peruvian national team defeated Scotland 2-0 in their last friendly match before the 2018 World Cup in Russia. This victory also set a record of 13 games undefeated.

In front of a crowded National Stadium with around 45,000 spectators, Peru imposed their rhythm and solidity to overcome a disciplined Scotland team, but inferior in resources. Goals from Christian Cueva and Jefferson Farfán secured the win for Peru.

Beyond the result, completely justified by what was seen on the field, Peru confirmed that they are a serious team with great coordination in their lines and capable of patiently demolishing their opponents. This makes Peruvians dream of a standout performance in the World Cup.

The team led by Argentinean coach Ricardo Gareca also confirmed that they have overcome the adversity of the absence of their captain and top scorer, Paolo Guerrero, and have the necessary weapons to solve their offensive needs.

The Peruvian team started the game with the conviction of relying on their short passing game to control the ball and midfield. From there, they created chances towards the Scottish goal.

With the game tilted towards the left side for the short passing of Cueva, Trauco, Flores, and Farfán, the Peruvians had their first opportunity at the 5-minute mark with a free-kick from Cueva that was sent out for a corner by goalkeeper Archer.

From that moment on, 20 minutes of absolute dominance by the home team followed, as they took care of the ball with the aim of waiting for the right moment to attack the rigid defensive scheme of the Scots.

Around the 25-minute mark, the Peruvians stepped back a few meters and opted to launch some long passes to Farfán, which did not pose much risk except for a weak shot from the striker that ended up in the hands of goalkeeper Archer.

When Scotland had loosened up a bit and started making some timid offensive attempts to find Jamie Murphy, Peru countered with a deep pass and Farfán anticipated Archer. However, his shot on goal was blocked with an arm by McKenna, resulting in a penalty called by the Mexican referee Guerrero.

Cueva executed the penalty with great composure at the 37-minute mark and opened the scoring for the Peruvians, causing jubilation among the national fans.

In the beginning of the second half, Peru came out again like a machine and quickly, at the 47-minute mark, Farfán received passes from Yotún and extended the lead with a double attempt, despite the efforts of the Scottish goalkeeper.

From then on, the Peruvians maintained their dominance and even showed some flashy plays, especially from the talented Carrillo. They also made six substitutions to test alternatives without affecting their collective performance.

The Peruvian national team will depart for Europe on Wednesday, where they will conclude their training and play friendly matches against Saudi Arabia and Sweden before arriving in Russia. This will mark their historic return to the World Cup after 36 years.