Pablo Guede has spoken ahead of the match between Alianza Lima and Sporting Cristal in the Torneo Apertura of Liga 1 2026. The Argentinian manager addressed the media just before the match.
Guede Focuses on Securing Vital Win
Guede stressed that Alianza Lima’s current form would mean nothing if they failed to beat Cristal at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva. The team will play with the aim of securing three points. These points are seen as crucial in the fight for the first phase of the championship.
“Everything you said is very good, but we have to win. All of that is seen at the end of the season. I think we have four super-complicated matches left, and all those things are recounted at the end of the tournament, when you know if you achieved the objective or not,” he stated.
The coach highlighted the squad’s hard work, saying, “Like every week, working very hard, preparing for the match with a lot of intensity and very well.”
Classic Clash: Form Doesn’t Matter
Regarding the importance of the clásico against Sporting Cristal, Guede said, “These are clásicos where it doesn’t matter how either team is doing in the table, because they are unique matches. I think these matches are won by those who make the fewest mistakes, those who are most focused, those who are most convinced of trying to do the things one proposes. Afterwards, the result is football and we have to wait.”
Alianza Lima are currently top of the table with 32 points. Sporting Cristal are in 13th place with 15 points.
Guerrero Returns, Cantero Misses Out
Pablo Guede also spoke about Paolo Guerrero’s recovery. Guerrero has returned to normal training before the match against Sporting Cristal. Guede confirmed that Alan Cantero had not recovered in time and was not included in the squad.
“On Wednesday he joined us for a while, on Thursday for another while and he was fine. Yesterday he trained fully and has recovered. We were unable to recover Alan. We gave him another week just in case, because it was a small tear. Still, I think that anyone who comes in, the competitiveness within the squad is maximum and we have to trust them.”
Message to the Fans
Finally, Pablo Guede addressed the Alianza Lima fans before the match against Sporting Cristal. He urged them to continue supporting the team with humility, hard work, and unity.
- The match between Alianza Lima and Sporting Cristal is scheduled for Saturday, 9 May.
- Kick-off is at 20:00 hours in Peru, Colombia and Ecuador.
- In Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia and Miami the time will be 21:00.
- In Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil it is scheduled for 22:00 hours.
The match will be broadcast live and exclusively on L1 Max. It is available on Best Cable, DirecTV, Claro, Win and Movistar. The match can also be followed online through the Liga 1 Play application, accessible on mobile devices and computers.