U vs Sporting Cristal Match Preview

U vs Sporting Cristal Match Preview

by Jon-Paul Devetori

Universitario squares off with rival Sporting Cristal tonight at 7:30pm (8:30pm Atlantic, 5:30 Pacific). Both clubs intensified their rivalry in recent years as Cristal has Universitario’s number and defeated them in last year’s Liga1 championship. The last time the “U” defeated Cristal was in 2018 Clausura. Cristal is coming off a 1-1 draw with Dep. Municipal while the “U” is coming off a disastrous 3-1 loss vs Carlos Manucci.

This is a tougher Sporting Cristal squad than last year and Universitario must play a strong 90 minutes. Last match they played a strong 45 minutes but the second half was a nightmare performance, nobody was giving their 100%. If this type of performance happens vs Cristal, the result would be worse than 3-1. “U” won’t miss a key starter but they need to improve communication in order to get by Cristal. This is the “Cremas” chance to make a statement vs the reigning champions.

Key players to watch: Hernan Novick, Alberto ‘Chiquitin’ Quintero (U). Horacio Calcaterra, Gerald Távara (SC).

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