Sporting Cristal faces Deportivo Binacional at home and has the obligation to win, in order to continue fighting for the first place in the Apertura Tournament. However, the 'Celestes' complicate themselves by being left with one less man at the end of the first half: Omar Merlo was sent off for pushing against Víctor Cedrón.
The clock showed that there were only a few seconds left for the end of the first 45 minutes and the 'Poderoso del sur' tried to launch a counterattack. 'Vickham' was in charge of leading the advance and tried to overcome Merlo with a 'nutmeg', but the action did not progress and the ball ended up going over the sideline.
The defender of the 'rimenses' was noticeably upset by the skill that Víctor Cedrón attempted and both athletes engaged in a conversation, which started in a friendly manner, although later there was a lot of tension. Shortly after, Binacional resumed the match with a throw-in and the aforementioned rivals met again.
However, this time it was in a rough manner, since the Argentine defender came from behind and pushed the midfielder from the Puno club in the back. Referee Augusto Menéndez noticed the scene and did not hesitate for a moment to show the red card to the Sporting Cristal player, who was trying to give explanations.
After a series of complaints, Omar Merlo had no choice but to leave the field at the Estadio Alberto Gallardo. At the moment, there is a tie in the score and if the result is confirmed, Binacional will be the sole leader of the Apertura, with 23 points; meanwhile, the 'Celestes' will be in sixth place, with 19 units.