With a commitment to win to stay in international competition, Alianza Lima will face Athletico Paranaense today (17:00 CET) at the Arena da Baixada in the sixth round of the Copa Libertadores and pick up three points.
Those led by Guillermo Salas They come into this game bottom of Group G with four points and will try to qualify for the knockout stages of the Copa Sudamericana, although they have no chance of reaching the round of 16. To reach that goal, the Blue and Whites need to beat Furacao, the group’s 10-point leader, and hope Libertad lose to Atlético Mineiro.
However, “Chicho” will have to do without the presence of Gabriel Costa, Andrés Andrade and Gino Peruzzi. The three players in the short-listed squad are unable to take part in the conclusion of the group stage due to injury.
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Alianza Lima will have to fight history to win as the last time La Victoria team defeated a Brazilian team in the Libertadores was against Cruzeiro in 1997. Likewise, the blue and whites have never beaten a Brazilian club in the land of samba in this competition.
Although it will be difficult to defeat that Athletico ParanenseThe tight squad remain hopeful of returning from Brazil with the three points and waiting for Atlético Mineiro to defeat the Paraguayan side.
“We will give the best we have. All games are important but this one has a special touch because if we win it we have the opportunity to qualify for the Copa Sudamericana. We’ll fight to the end, knowing it’s difficult. “You have to work on the game, have a lot of concentration, be attentive and wait for the right moments,” Salas explained in the preview.
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Moreover, after what has been achieved in La Liga 1 2023, Alianza Lima is going with maximum motivation. After winning the opening game, the national team secured a place in the play-offs for the national title and, after a 2-0 defeat, started well in the final game against Atlético Grau in the national stadium.
It is worth remembering that the familiars and Furacao drew in the first leg at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium, where Alianza was close to victory in the final minutes.
This Copa Libertadores helped the Blue and Whites end a long winning streak; However, the “Chicho” team does not want to settle for that and will give their lives to beat Athletico Paranaense.
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Carlos Zambrano is happy about the victory
Although it will be difficult for Alianza Lima to pick up the three away points against Athletico Paranaense, the blue and white players are confident they can pull off the feat on the final day of the Libertadores group stage. Such is the case of Carlos Zambrano.
The “León” assured that the intimate group would not give up and would strike at the Arena da Baixada. “We want to make history in Brazil, it’s our last ball and it’s a tough game, but it all depends on us,” said the central defender at Jorge Chávez Airport before leaving for Curitiba.