LIMA (Interstat) — U. de Deportes scored three second-half goals and defeated visiting Juan Pablo II 3-0 on Saturday in a Primera División match. The home side controlled the decisive stretch after a tight opening hour and remained unbeaten in the competition. U. de Deportes improved its position with a second win in three matches in the competition, while Juan Pablo II was left looking for a response after conceding three times after halftime. The visitors defended in numbers early and limited clear chances before the interval.

The first half ended without a goal, and the match shifted in the 59th minute when Juan Pablo II’s Miguez was shown a yellow card. Edison Flores broke the deadlock for U. de Deportes in the 60th minute. Gianluca Lapadula doubled the advantage in the 65th minute, and Lisandro Alzugaray completed the scoring in the 87th minute. The goals came in a 27-minute span and turned a scoreless game into a comfortable home win.

Alzugaray had one goal and one assist while playing 26 minutes. Lapadula scored in an 85-minute appearance. Flores scored in 64 minutes before he was substituted. U. de Deportes made further changes in the 75th, 76th and 85th minutes as it protected the lead and saw out the result. The scoring sequence gave U. de Deportes a lead it never surrendered.

Juan Pablo II tried to respond with substitutions in the 52nd and 64th minutes, and it made another change in the 70th minute. The visitors could not find a goal against a U. de Deportes side that kept the pressure on after taking the lead. Juan Pablo II’s substitutions included Carhualllanqui and Posito in the 52nd, Ramirez N. and Ramirez E. in the 64th, and Ancajima in the 70th.

U. de Deportes made substitutions involving Flores in the 64th, Inga in the 75th, Concha in the 76th, and Lapadula and Santamaria in the 85th. The home side managed the closing stages and kept Juan Pablo II from cutting into the deficit. The visitors’ best spell came before the opening goal, but they could not convert their possession into a breakthrough. Juan Pablo II pushed for a response after the second goal but could not break through.

The result moved U. de Deportes to 2-0-1 in the competition and 2-0-1 across all competitions. Juan Pablo II fell to 1-1-1 in the competition and 1-1-1 across all competitions. U. de Deportes entered the match after a win at Club Alianza Atletico and a home draw with FBC Melgar. Juan Pablo II entered after a win over Sport Boys and a draw at CD Comerciantes Unidos. Those results left both sides looking to build momentum, and U. de Deportes found the finishing touch after halftime. Juan Pablo II next hosts Sport Huancayo. The match was the third in the competition for both teams.

The three-goal burst came after a disciplined defensive start from Juan Pablo II. Flores opened the scoring, Lapadula added the second and Alzugaray closed the match late with his goal and assist. U. de Deportes managed the closing stages with substitutions and kept Juan Pablo II from cutting into the deficit. The home side’s second-half pressure produced the breakthrough and allowed it to protect the result over the final minutes. The late goal capped a strong contribution from Alzugaray, who had a goal and an assist in 26 minutes.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of U. de Deportes 2, Juan Pablo II 1. Interstat’s ELO system gave U. de Deportes a 65.8 percent probability to win. U. de Deportes had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The projections favored the home side before kickoff.