An Underdog’s Statement: Alianza Atletico Storms Cusco, Sinks Deportivo Garcilaso 4-2

On a brisk, sunlit afternoon at Estadio Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, the script called for Deportivo Garcilaso to steady their faltering campaign. Instead, it was 16th-place Alianza Atletico—struggling, battered, and desperate for answers—who orchestrated a relentless 4-2 ambush, punctuated by a ruthless Miguel Agustín Graneros brace and an afternoon of clinical counterattacks that stunned the home faithful.

What unfurled in Cusco was not merely an upset; it was a reshuffling of the narrative for two clubs teetering on the margins, each searching for redemption as the Peruvian Primera División calendar turns to its final chapters.

Alianza Atletico Finds Its Teeth

Sullana’s Alianza Atletico arrived in Cusco with just two wins from their opening ten matches—a side low on confidence and, by most measures, in need of a lifeline. Yet, from the opening whistle, there was a clarity and sharpness about their play, a refusal to cede territory in midfield or hesitate in the final third.

That intent crystallized in the 24th minute, when Stefano Fernández capitalized on a defensive lapse at the edge of the box. After a probing run down the right flank, Fernández found himself with a pocket of space and fired low past Garcilaso’s sprawled keeper, silencing the stadium and putting an early dent in the hosts’ ambitions.

If Garcilaso harbored hopes of regaining control, the second half extinguished them. Graneros, orchestrator and executioner, struck twice inside eleven minutes—first in the 53rd, then emphatically in the 64th. His first was classic poacher’s fare: reacting quickest to a deflected cross, guiding a left-footed finish beyond a crowded six-yard box. The second was a masterclass in timing, breaking away on a swift counter to slot home and make it 3-0.

Garcilaso Rallies—But Too Late

By then, the home side’s fate seemed sealed. Deportivo Garcilaso, who had managed just one win in their last five league matches, looked bereft of ideas, their passing triangles choking under the weight of Alianza Atletico’s pressing.

Yet, in the waning stages, Pablo Erustes offered a glimmer of resistance. His header in the 77th minute, powered in from close range after a rare moment of slick wing play, clawed one back and momentarily roused the Cusco faithful. Erustes would add a second deep into injury time, a well-placed strike that did little to alter the outcome but at least dressed the score line with a measure of Garcilaso’s fighting spirit.

Context and Consequence

For Garcilaso, the loss marks a bruising step backward in a season oscillating between optimism and regression. Their last five matches now read: loss, draw, draw, win, draw—a pattern that signaled vulnerability even before Sunday’s collapse. The 4-0 hammering at Cusco on October 1 left wounds that had barely begun to heal. Now, surrendering four more at home to a bottom-four opponent will only deepen the anxiety. Erustes’ late goals—while individually impressive—could not paper over defensive lapses that have defined their autumn.

Alianza Atletico, conversely, seized their lifeline with a performance that belied their lowly standing. Sitting 16th with ten points from ten matches before kickoff, the Sullana-based club needed a jolt to revive hopes of climbing from the lower reaches of the table. Graneros continues to be their talisman, his four goals in the past three league matches now the heartbeat of their survival campaign. The victory does not yet lift Alianza Atletico out of danger, but it narrows the gap and injects belief at a critical juncture.

The Road Ahead

For Deportivo Garcilaso, the immediate task is to regroup before another difficult stretch. Their defense, so porous of late, must find stability or risk tumbling further down the table—a prospect unthinkable just a month ago when a thrilling 4-3 away win against Alianza Lima promised a turning of the tide. Instead, that promise feels distant, with every match now raising questions about both tactical approach and squad depth.

For Alianza Atletico, Sunday’s shock in Cusco is a rallying cry. The win marks only their third of the season, but it’s a statement that Sullana’s side will not go quietly into the relegation fight. Graneros and Fernández, if they maintain this form, offer hope that the club’s autumn can yet be salvaged.

Both sides leave Estadio Inca Garcilaso not just with points won and lost, but with clarity: form is fleeting, margins are slim, and in Peru’s Primera División, the next ninety minutes may well redefine their seasons.