Guede Leaves Out Cantero, Brings Guerrero Back for Alianza Lima - Sporting Cristal
Alianza Lima - Sporting Cristal arrived with a clear roster twist on the night of the previous Friday: Alan Cantero was left out of Pablo Guede’s call-up, while Paolo Guerrero returned after recovering from a lumbar problem. The squad list settled questions before a match that matters to both sides, with Alianza Lima on top of the Torneo Apertura and Sporting Cristal chasing points from 13th place.
Guede’s Friday squad list
Guede made the official list public on social media, and Cantero was not included after the technical staff chose to rest him for this match. That decision tightened the focus on who would actually be available at Estadio Alejandro Villanueva, where the meeting was set for a key league night.
Guerrero’s return was the other major change. He had missed Alianza Lima’s 2-1 win over CD Moquegua because of the lumbar issue, so his place in the call-up restored one of the team’s more familiar attacking options just in time for Sporting Cristal.
Guerrero returns after lumbar problem
The striker’s recovery changed the shape of the squad more than any other move. Alianza Lima did not need to replace him in the lineup for Moquegua’s visit, but getting him back now gives Guede another experienced option as the team protects a lead of 32 points in the Apertura.
That sits against a different picture for Sporting Cristal, which entered the match in 13th place with 15 points. The table gap is the simplest measure of how much is riding on the same squad list: one side is trying to hold position at the top, the other is trying to climb out of the lower half.
Advíncula’s suspension changes plans
Cantero was not the only absence. Luis Advíncula also missed out after being suspended for one match for accumulation of five yellow cards, and the booking he received against CD Moquegua triggered that penalty.
For Alianza, that left Guede with one rested player, one returning player, and one unavailable because of discipline. The club’s list cleared up the uncertainty before the contest at Estadio Alejandro Villanueva, where the opener against Sporting Cristal carried the usual weight of a direct league meeting.
The practical read for supporters is simple: Cantero will not be on the bench for this one, Guerrero is back in the call-up, and Advíncula serves his suspension while Alianza Lima tries to protect first place against a rival needing points fast.
