The classic of Peruvian soccer will steal the spotlight in round 5 of the Clausura of the Liga1, but there will be another exciting match to watch when the leaders Melgar and Sporting Cristal meet at 3:30 p.m. in the Monumental de la UNSA.
Both Mariano Soso's team and Tiago Nunes' team come into the match with 10 points and the ambition to win a game that reinforces their conviction to win the Clausura, as well as distances themselves from a direct rival for the title.
In a Clausura with at least four candidates (Alianza and 'U' are, a priori, the other two), the margin of error must be minimal and, therefore, beating a direct rival will be key in the midst of the strong effort required to amass the most points until the end of the tournament.
In the current championship, Melgar, under Soso, defeated ADT and Atlético Grau in Arequipa, in addition to beating Municipal and drawing with Deportivo Garcilaso as visitors, but Sporting Cristal will be the first tough opponent they face on their way to winning the Clausura.
It will be Tiago Nunes' Cristal, undefeated in high altitude this year, that will test the ambitions of an Arequipa team that has raised its level of competitiveness in recent weeks, but they must prove that they have what it takes to compete for the Clausura against an opponent that hasn't lost in Liga 1 since late April.
It should be noted that for Sporting Cristal, the match could be a chance for revenge after the painful 2-0 loss to Melgar in the second leg of the Liga 1 2022 semifinals, which ended their dream of winning their 21st title.