Sporting Cristal vs Junior

Sporting Cristal put on a commanding display at Estadio Matute, beating Junior 2-0 in a Copa Libertadores Group F clash that was effectively decided by a first-half red card. Jermein Peña was dismissed on 21 minutes after catching Miguel Araujo with a dangerous elbow, leaving the Colombians a man down for the remainder. Cristal took full advantage when Santiago González rifled a left-footed strike from the edge of the area on 52 minutes to break the deadlock. Catriel Cabellos sealed it in stoppage time with a composed finish from inside the box. The result sends Sporting Cristal to the summit of Group F with six points, a major boost for the Peruvian side's continental ambitions. Junior sit at the bottom of the table and face a steep climb to keep their Libertadores campaign alive.