São Paulo Football Club defeated Alianza Lima 2-0 Tuesday in a Copa Libertadores group stage match at Estadio Alejandro Villanueva. The victory positions São Paulo closer to advancing to the knockout phase of the tournament.
The win marked São Paulo's third consecutive away victory in the competition, maintaining a perfect record on the road during the group stage. The result keeps the Brazilian club atop Group D standings.
André Silva scored the second goal for São Paulo in the 44th minute of the second half, capitalizing on a counter-attack with a left-footed finish from inside the penalty area. The first goal had given São Paulo a 1-0 lead at the start of the second period.
The match saw several disciplinary actions. Renzo Garcés of Alianza Lima received a red card in the 25th minute of the second half following a foul on Lucas Moura. Yellow cards were issued to Jesús Castillo and Miguel Trauco for Alianza Lima, and Alan Franco and Nahuel Ferraresi for São Paulo.
Substitutions impacted the game flow. Alianza Lima brought on Hernán Barcos, Piero Cari, Juan Delgado, and Ricardo Lagos. São Paulo made several changes including Lucas Moura, Lucas Ferreira, Luciano, and Damián Bobadilla.
Midway through the second half, play was briefly stopped due to an injury to São Paulo goalkeeper Rafael. He was able to continue the match. Alianza Lima's Paolo Guerrero was substituted earlier in the second half.
Despite opportunities for both sides, including missed shots by Eryc Castillo for Alianza Lima and Enzo Díaz for São Paulo, São Paulo controlled possession and limited Alianza Lima's scoring chances.
The match was officiated by a crew from Uruguay, with Andres Matonte as the main referee.
