Universitario de Deportes beat Los Chankas 3-0 at the Estadio Monumental U Marathon on Sunday, with Gianluca Lapadula scoring twice and Alex Valera adding a penalty to move the Lima club level with Deportivo Garcilaso at the top of Peru's Torneo Clausura 2026.
Coach Hector Cuper's side dominated for most of the match on matchday 6 of the tournament, taking the lead in the first half before pulling away after Los Chankas were reduced to ten men.
How the goals went in
Lapadula opened the scoring in the 25th minute. Universitario went in 1-0 up at the interval, with neither side making any substitutions during the break.
Los Chankas had Franco Torres sent off in the 50th minute after referee Daniel Ureta consulted the video assistant referee and upgraded an earlier yellow card to a red. Torres had already been booked in the 47th minute for stepping on Jairo Concha.
Universitario made the extra man count. In the 65th minute Lapadula went down in the box, and after another VAR review, Ureta awarded a penalty. Valera converted it in the 68th minute to make it 2-0.
Lapadula completed the rout in the 75th minute, turning in a rebound after Cesar Inga's cross created chaos in the Los Chankas area. The striker was substituted in the 80th minute to a standing ovation from the crowd at the Monumental, before being replaced along with Adrian Quiroz by Edison Flores and Fertoli. Valera also received warm applause from the home fans before being replaced by Horacio Calcaterra in the 87th minute. The match finished 3-0 after four minutes of stoppage time, with Andy Polo unable to add a fourth despite a strong individual run in injury time.
Cards and the sending-off
Los Chankas' Ayrthon Quintana was booked in the first minute for a foul on Polo. Universitario's Juan Requena was cautioned in the sixth minute for a hard foul, and Matias Di Benedetto picked up a yellow card in the 55th minute. Cain Fara was also booked in the 42nd minute for a late challenge. Torres's second booking, upgraded to a red card via VAR, left Los Chankas playing with ten men from the 50th minute onward.
Lineups and team news
Universitario lined up with Diego Romero in goal behind a back four of Andy Polo, Cain Fara, Williams Riveros, Matias Di Benedetto and Cesar Inga, with Juan Requena, Adrian Quiroz and Jairo Concha in midfield, and Alex Valera and Gianluca Lapadula up front. Riveros started in place of the suspended Anderson Santamaria, who was sent off in Universitario's previous match. Panamanian full-back Jorge Abdiel Gutierrez, the club's latest signing, was named among the substitutes but did not start.
Los Chankas started Hairo Camacho in goal, with Oshiro Takeuchi, Hector Gonzalez, David Gonzales, Carlos Pimienta and Ayrthon Quintana in defence, Jorge Palomino, Kelvin Sanchez and Andre Vasquez in midfield, and Franco Torres and Jarlin Quintero leading the attack.
Universitario were missing four players for the match: Bryan Reyna, Jose Rivera, Jordan Guivin and the suspended Santamaria. Los Chankas were without Christian Velarde, Marlon Torres and Accel Campos.
Before kickoff, Universitario paid tribute to Valera and former player Piero Alva after Valera reached 84 goals for the club, matching Alva, nicknamed "Zorrito," on the team's all-time scoring list.
Referee and attendance
Daniel Ureta was the main referee, assisted by Jose Castillo and Nelson Sanchez, with Mario Quispe as fourth official. Julio Quiroz served as VAR and Raul Lopez as AVAR. Universitario said it had sold 55,000 tickets for the game at the Estadio Monumental U Marathon, which has a capacity of more than 80,000. The broadcast was carried on L1 Max.
Background on the clubs
Universitario de Deportes, coached by Argentine Hector Cuper, is one of Peru's most successful clubs and reigning champion, chasing what the club has called a "tricampeonato," a third straight title. Los Chankas, formally Los Chankas CYC, are based in Andahuaylas.
Standings and what comes next
The win moved Universitario to the top of the Clausura table alongside Deportivo Garcilaso. Before the match, Universitario sat sixth in the standings with 10 points, while Los Chankas were 14th with 7. In the separate season-long aggregate table, Alianza Lima led, with Los Chankas, Universitario, Melgar and Cienciano close behind.
Universitario's Clausura scoring list is led by Valera and Lapadula with three goals each, and Lisandro Azulgaray with one. For Los Chankas, Torres and Quintero have three goals apiece.
Universitario next travels to face UTC on August 29, before hosting Comerciantes Unidos on September 5, playing away to Alianza Lima on September 12, hosting Deportivo Garcilaso on September 19, and hosting Melgar on October 8. Los Chankas play Juan Pablo II on August 29, then face Sporting Cristal on September 6, host FC Cajamarca on September 12, play Cienciano on September 19 and travel to Atletico Grau on October 8.
