Minute30.com .- The Alejandro Villanueva Stadium, popularly known as “Matute”, witnessed a night that will be recorded in the books of South American football. In the celebration of the Blue and White Night 2026, Alianza Lima defeated Inter Miami with a resounding 3-0, exposing the shortcomings of the bombastic team of MLS stars.
Neither the presence of Lionel Messi, nor the sense of smell of Luis Suárez, were enough to contain an intimate team that played with heart and enviable effectiveness.
Paolo Guerrero: The validity of the “Predator”
The great figure of the night was, without a doubt, the incombustible Paolo Guerrero. The veteran scorer showed that his hierarchy is still intact by scoring a double in the first half that made the more than 13,000 souls present in the stadium vibrate.
The first goal shout in “Matute” came from the technical board at 28 minutes: after a corner kick taken by Cristian Carbajal, the ball remained alive in the area after a short clearance; Eryc Castillo reacted quickly to assist Gentile, whose shot caused a rebound from the goalkeeper that the ‘Predator’ Paolo Guerrero took advantage of with a lethal header to make it 1-0.
Just four minutes later, at 32′, the stadium exploded again thanks to a recovery by Jairo Vélez in the midfield; The action flowed down the left wing with a precise cross from Castillo towards the heart of the area, where Guerrero, with the hierarchy that characterizes him, defined first with his right foot to sign his double and the partial 2-0 that left Messi’s team stunned.
In the second half, the tone did not change. After an assist from Argentine Federico Girotti, attacker Luis Ramos sealed the win in the 73rd minute with the final 3-0.
Behind the brilliance of the win, the blue and white institution faces an unprecedented institutional crisis. It has been confirmed that several players have been separated from the professional squad due to a complaint of alleged sexual abuse against a young woman.
A discreet Messi and an erratic Suárez
The expectation to see the ex-Barcelona team was high, but the reality on the field was different. Lionel Messi had a discreet match, well referenced by the staggered marking of the Alianza midfielders. For his part, “Pistolero” Luis Suárez had a clear opportunity to score, but he wasted it in an incredible way, confirming that it was not the night for those from Florida.
On January 31, Messi’s team will land in Medellín to face Atlético Nacional. This duel generates total expectation in the capital of Antioquia, not only due to the presence of world figures, but to see if the “King of Cups” can emulate what Alianza Lima did and deliver another defeat to the pink team.