Alianza Lima hosts UTC looking to get back on track in the Clausura

Staying unbeaten is not the same as staying on course. Alianza Lima still hasn't lost a match in the 2026 Torneo Clausura, but that alone is no longer enough: the club needs to win again. This Saturday, August 15, starting at 7:30 p.m. (Peru time), Alianza will host UTC at Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in Matchday 5, a game that could reshuffle a good chunk of the standings.

The blanquiazules sit second with 8 points, and they know that another slip would push them further from leaders Deportivo Garcilaso. A win, on the other hand, could put them back on top if other results fall their way. The formula, then, is easy to state and hard to pull off: win, no matter what.

On the other side of the field is a UTC side that still hasn't found its best form this Clausura. The Cajamarca club has yet to taste victory in the tournament, with two draws and two losses through four matchdays, and it needs to turn things around soon to avoid getting stuck near the bottom of the table.

Players to watch

For Alianza, all eyes are on Eryc Castillo, who has emerged as the team's top scorer in the Clausura with five goals. Alongside him, Federico Girotti arrives with fresh momentum after scoring again in the previous matchday against Sport Boys, something that had been eluding him and that now gives him renewed confidence in front of goal.

UTC, meanwhile, continues to lean on the experience of Marcos Lliuya, who not only runs the show in midfield but has also chipped in with two goals this tournament. Up front, Ecuadorian forward Adolfo Muñoz is the most dangerous card in the Cajamarca side's deck and the main threat that Alianza's defense will need to shut down.

Recent form tells two different stories. Alianza Lima drew 1-1 with Sport Boys at the Estadio Nacional, a result that handed the lead to Garcilaso even though it kept Alianza's unbeaten run intact: two wins and two draws so far this Clausura under coach Néstor Gorosito. UTC also failed to pick up all three points in its last outing, settling for a 1-1 draw at home against ADT, with a win still proving elusive in the tournament.

Recent history between the two sides favors the blanquiazules. In the 2026 Torneo Apertura, also in Matchday 5, Alianza Lima beat UTC in Cajamarca in a match that was decided late, with a header from Renzo Garcés in a dramatic, controversial finish.

With that backdrop, the Villanueva will host a match that means different things to each side: for Alianza, the need to get back to winning ways and stay close to the leaders; for UTC, the urgency to snap a streak that's starting to weigh on the club. The match will be broadcast live on Liga 1 Max for those who want to follow every minute.