Alex Valera had a dream afternoon on April 29 at the Estadio Monumental as he scored all three goals in Universitario's victory over Sport Boys in the 14th round of the Apertura Tournament, a result that temporarily places the cream team at the top of the championship with 28 points.
Valera not only scored three goals, but also scored authentic fantastic goals: the first with a strong header, the second with a well-placed long-range shot, and the last one with a heel kick that turned the northern stands into a celebration and silenced the pink fans who were present at the Ate stadium.
After his great performance, which could only be overshadowed by his second consecutive expulsion, he was highlighted by the club on social media through a striking video to the rhythm of the song '1, 2, 3' by the Argentine group of Latin pop 'El Símbolo'.
He is the third player to score a hat trick in the 2023 Liga 1.
When everyone believed that the Peruvian national team striker was the first to score three goals in the same match, the one who truly holds that record is Argentine Neri Bandiera from Atlético Grau, who did it against Binacional on matchday 4 of the Apertura. Additionally, Alejandro Hohberg did the same in Sporting Cristal's 4-4 draw against Garcilaso in Cusco. Therefore, the 'U' team's number 20 is the third player on that list.
How many goals does Valera have with Universitario?
The native of the city of Pomalca in Lambayeque joined Universitario in 2021 after a good year with Deportivo Llacuabamba. Although it took him some time to adapt to the demands of a big team, he started to stand out and make his presence felt on the scoresheet. In less than three seasons, he has scored 32 goals in 60 matches, becoming the club's top scorer in the 2020s.
More information at Líbero.pe.