Melgar, down to ten men, fell on Monday 3-1 to Cienciano inspired by a brilliant performance from Carlos Garces at the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega stadium. The striker scored a goal and provided an assist.
The victories also came under the leadership of Cristian Diaz, thanks to goals from Alejandro Ramirez and Rudy Palomino, while Cristian Bordacahar scored for the visitors.
Leonel Gonzalez will regret missing a penalty for Melgar. Cienciano goalkeeper Italo Espinosa saved a shot from the bottom left in the 69th minute, levelling the score at 1-1.
Lionel Galeano dealt a heavy blow to Melgar when he was sent off for a double yellow card a minute from time.
Ramirez opened the scoring for Cincinnati in the 15th minute. The striker fired a low shot into the left corner after combining with defender Marcelo Benitez. The lead was short-lived, however, as Bordagahar equalised five minutes later. Kenji Cabrera provided the assist.
Palomino put the home side back in front in the 74th minute, this time assisted by Garces. Garces made it 3-1 from the penalty spot in extra time after being fouled by Galeano.
Cienciano’s win broke a seven-game winless streak (0 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses) against Melgar in the tournament that began on May 23, 2021.
Did you know?
Cienciano’s seven shots on goal were the most Melgar has allowed this season in the league.
The visitors extended their scoring streak in the first division to 19 games. They have not reached zero since their draw on March 2 against Comerciantes Unidos.
Both teams have performed well this season under new leadership. Cienciano has added nine points (W3, D2, L1) from a possible 12 since Cristian Díaz took over on August 11. Melgar, for his part, has scored 44 points from a possible 57 (W14, D2, L3) under Marco Valencia since March 9.
Highlights
Consequences:
With a run of four games without a win as a visitor (0 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses), Melgar remains in seventh place with 13 points after eight fixtures in the Clausura.
Cienciano remained in eighth place with 13 points after nine matches. Cienciano played three consecutive matches without a loss (W2 D1 L0) in the league at home.
About the results of the goals:
Garcés has scored 14 league goals this season, making him the team’s top scorer, as well as the league’s third-highest scorer overall. Palomino scored his first goal in the Primera División in his 26th appearance in the competition. Ramírez scored for the first time for Cienciano in his sixth league game for the club. Cabrera provided his sixth assist of the season, equaling the eighth-highest record for a player in the current competition.
Injury Report:
No player was removed due to injury.
Impact of VAR technology:
No play was called off as a result of VAR.
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