Sport Boys routed 5-2 by Alianza Atletico, Sporting Cristal edges ADT on the road in Copa de la Liga semis

The four teams chasing a spot in the Copa de la Liga final in Peru are now known, and the road to get there opened with a rout nobody saw coming. In the first leg of one of the semifinal ties, Sport Boys fell 5-2 to Alianza Atletico, a result that leaves the club known as El Rosado facing a steep climb in the second leg.

The other semifinal was a much tighter affair: ADT lost 0-1 at home to Sporting Cristal, giving the Celeste a slim but valuable edge heading into the return leg on their own turf.

How the ties continue

The dates are already circled on every fan's calendar. On Thursday, October 1, at 3:00 PM, Sporting Cristal will host ADT knowing they can't afford to lose by more than a single goal if they want to avoid any late scares, though they do have the cushion of having won the first leg on the road. Then, on Tuesday, October 6, also at 3:00 PM, it will be Alianza Atletico's turn to host Sport Boys, a matchup that looks like an uphill battle for the Callao side after that 5-2 defeat.

What's on the line here is no small matter. Beyond the trophy itself, the winner of this Copa de la Liga will pick up two points toward the cumulative 2027 Liga 1 table, while the runner-up will add one point to that same tally. That detail adds extra weight to each of these semifinal matches, since it's not just a place in the final at stake: there's also an edge up for grabs that could prove decisive later in the championship.

So the question hanging in the air is simple: can Sport Boys overturn such a heavy deficit against Alianza Atletico, or will the side known as the Vendaval de Sullana finish the job and reach the final? And on the other side, will Sporting Cristal hold on to that narrow advantage against an ADT side that needs something close to a miracle on home soil? The answers start arriving next week.