AYACUCHO, Peru (Interstat) — Veteran striker Paolo Guerrero turned back the clock with a first-half brace to power Alianza Lima to a 2-1 victory over Los Chankas on Wednesday afternoon in a Peruvian Primera División match at Estadio Los Chankas.

The 41-year-old Guerrero, whose storied career has included stops at Bayern Munich and Hamburger SV, was the decisive figure, scoring twice in a 17-minute span to give the visiting Alianza Lima a lead it would not relinquish. The result defied a pregame projection from Interstat, whose simulator had forecast a 1-1 draw.

The match’s opening goal arrived just before halftime, settling an opening period that had grown increasingly fractious. In the 44th minute, Guerrero found space inside the penalty area and finished clinically to give Alianza Lima the lead. The goal was immediately followed by a yellow card shown to Los Chankas’ Ayrthon Quintana in second-half stoppage time, highlighting the tense conclusion to the half.

The visitors doubled their advantage just after the hour mark. In the 61st minute, Guerrero struck again, capitalizing on an Alianza Lima buildup to score his second of the afternoon and stake his team to a commanding 2-0 lead.

Los Chankas, however, refused to capitulate. They found a lifeline in the 73rd minute when Isaac Camargo scored, cutting the deficit in half and reigniting the home crowd. The goal was quickly met with a booking for Guerrero, who received a yellow card a minute later.

The home side’s hopes for a comeback were severely damaged in the 84th minute when Quintana received his second yellow card of the match, resulting in a red card and forcing Los Chankas to play the final minutes with 10 men.

The match was a physical contest from the start, with six yellow cards issued in total. The first two cautions came in quick succession in the 31st and 32nd minutes, shown to Los Chankas’ Erick Castillo and Alianza Lima’s José Manzaneda, respectively. The intensity continued after the break, with Alianza Lima’s Carlos Pimienta booked in the 63rd minute and Los Chankas’ Jesús Castillo shown a yellow in second-half stoppage time.

With the win, Alianza Lima begins its Primera División campaign with a perfect record of one win and zero losses. Los Chankas start their season with zero wins and one loss. The records for both teams across all competitions mirror their league standings.

The victory for Alianza Lima was in line with the expectations of Interstat’s ELO rating system, which had given the club a 59.10 percent probability of winning ahead of kickoff.