The failure of Cristal in the Liga 1: it was first in the overall standings but missed out on the title.

In football as in life, injustices occur. A team can play well with a defined style, with dynamic, intense, and offensive players, but this does not guarantee winning a national title. More is needed. This happened to Sporting Cristal in the 2022 season of the Liga 1.

The Celestials, at that time led by Roberto Mosquera, finished first in the Accumulated with 79 points with a huge difference over their rivals (+37: 74 goals for and 37 against), however, they missed out on becoming champions in the season.

Cristal started the championship on the wrong foot. They lost their debut against Sport Huancayo 1-0 and in the following match, they could only earn one point at home against Melgar. It wasn't until the third round that they won 3-2 against UTC at the Gallardo.

The Apertura was irregular for the Celestials with unexpected defeats and draws. Even so, they finished in third place with 38 points, 3 behind Melgar, the winner of the first tournament of the Liga 1 2022.

A new tournament started for Cristal. The Celestials knew they couldn't fail anymore. That's why they took the Clausura seriously. In most matchdays, the Celestials were at the top of the table and everything indicated that they would win the tournament. However, an unexpected defeat cost them the dream of being the absolute leaders.

It was in the match against Atlético Grau at the Gallardo, on October 21, that Cristal lost 1-2 and lost the first place. Although they won the last two matchdays against Alianza Atlético and Mannucco, it wasn't enough to win the Clausura. The first position ended up being for Alianza Lima, so the Celestials played the playoffs with Melgar in home and away matches.

Sporting Cristal lost to Melgar in the semifinals of the Liga 1 and said goodbye to the national title. In the first match, in Arequipa, the team from Rimac lost 2-0, and in the second leg, they were also defeated 2-0.

Sporting Cristal will not be able to play the Libertadores from the group stage as in previous years. In 2023, they will only enter in Phase 2 and the Celestials will face the winner of the duel between Sport Huancayo or Nacional in the preliminary phase.

Although there is no specific date for the matches in Phase 2, the organization has determined estimated dates for this stage, which will be played in the weeks of February 22 and March 1.