Deportivo Garcilaso climbed to sole leadership of Peru's Torneo Clausura after Alianza Lima and Melgar failed to beat each other in their matchday 6 meeting on Sunday, leaving Universitario de Deportes with a chance to draw level at the top of the table.
Sport Boys produced the surprise result of the round, beating Cienciano 5-1 to pull away from the bottom of the season's combined standings.
The Torneo Clausura is the second of two annual tournaments that make up Peru's Liga 1 season, following the Torneo Apertura played earlier in the year. The two tournaments are combined into a season-long aggregate table, which Peruvian football uses to help determine continental qualification and relegation, and which is currently topped by Alianza Lima.
Alianza Lima and Universitario, both based in the capital Lima, are among Peru's most successful and widely supported clubs. Melgar are based in the southern city of Arequipa, while Deportivo Garcilaso and Cienciano are both based in Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire.
Torneo Clausura standings
Deportivo Garcilaso sit alone in first place with 13 points from six matches, one point clear of Alianza Lima in second. Sport Boys and Melgar follow on 11 points each, with Sporting Cristal, Atletico Grau, Universitario and Alianza Atletico all level on 10.
Universitario have played one match fewer than most of their rivals, with their round six fixture against Los Chankas still to be completed.
Aggregate table led by Alianza Lima
Across the season as a whole, Alianza Lima lead the aggregate standings with 52 points from 23 games. Los Chankas sit second on 41 points, ahead of Universitario and Melgar, who are level on 39 points, and Deportivo Garcilaso, also on 39. Cienciano are sixth on 37 points, with Cusco FC seventh on 36.
Four clubs have had points deducted this season, sanctions that are reflected in the aggregate table. UTC have lost 15 points, Sport Boys four, and ADT and FC Cajamarca one point each.
Battle to avoid relegation
At the bottom of the Torneo Clausura table, UTC remain without a point after six matches, with ADT Tarma and Cienciano occupying the two places directly above them. In the season-long aggregate table, UTC also prop up the overall standings on 10 points following their deduction, with FC Cajamarca, ADT and Sport Huancayo also among the bottom four.
Matchday 6 results
The round began on Friday, August 21, when Atletico Grau beat FC Cajamarca 3-1 and Alianza Atletico defeated Sporting Cristal 3-1.
On Saturday, August 22, CD Moquegua won 2-0 away at Sport Huancayo, Comerciantes Unidos beat UTC 3-1, Juan Pablo II thrashed ADT 5-1 and Deportivo Garcilaso beat Cusco FC 4-1 to move top of the table.
On Sunday, Sport Boys beat Cienciano 5-1 at the Estadio Miguel Grau, before Melgar hosted Alianza Lima at the Estadio Monumental de la UNSA in a match neither side won, leaving Deportivo Garcilaso in sole possession of first place.
Universitario were due to close out the round against Los Chankas at 6.30 p.m. at the Estadio Monumental in Ate, a match that gave the Lima club the chance to draw level with Garcilaso at the top of the Torneo Clausura.
