A chance to erase the memory of last year's humiliation
En las noches de copa, los clubes cargando el peso de temporadas difíciles buscan en la competencia continental una forma de redención que el torneo doméstico les ha negado. Este martes en Trujillo, César Vallejo —con Paolo Guerrero como emblema de lo posible— recibe a Defensa y Justicia de Argentina en el debut del Grupo A de la Copa Sudamericana 2024, un encuentro donde la historia reciente favorece a los visitantes pero la necesidad más profunda pertenece a los locales. El estadio Mansiche será testigo de si la experiencia puede convertirse en destino o si las estadísticas ceden ante la urgencia.
- César Vallejo llega al partido más importante de su temporada desde el fondo de la tabla de la Liga 1, en zona de descenso, con la presión de demostrar que el fútbol continental puede ser su tabla de salvación.
- La presencia de Paolo Guerrero —campeón de la Copa Sudamericana 2023 con LDU y conocedor de este rival— inyecta una credibilidad que los números domésticos del equipo no logran sostener por sí solos.
- Defensa y Justicia aterriza en Perú golpeado: la rotura de ligamentos de Gastón Togni el mismo lunes de viaje los priva de un atacante clave por al menos seis meses, abriendo una grieta en su profundidad ofensiva.
- Las casas de apuestas siguen confiando en el conjunto argentino con odds de 2.05 a 2.15, mientras Vallejo cotiza entre 3.40 y 4.00 pese a jugar en casa ante 25,000 espectadores en el Mansiche.
- El partido se transmite a las 9 p.m. hora peruana por ESPN 5 y Star Plus, y marca el inicio de un grupo que también incluye a Deportivo Independiente Medellín y Always Ready, con todo aún por definirse.
César Vallejo abre su campaña en la Copa Sudamericana 2024 este martes por la noche en el estadio Mansiche de Trujillo, con la memoria fresca de haber terminado último en su grupo el año pasado. Su rival es Defensa y Justicia, un club argentino con experiencia en este torneo y con el hábito de ganar en competencias internacionales. El partido comienza a las 9 p.m. hora peruana y se puede ver por ESPN 5 y Star Plus.
El equipo trujillano atraviesa una temporada doméstica complicada: está en zona de descenso en la Liga 1 y lejos de las expectativas iniciales. Sin embargo, la llegada del técnico Guillermo Salas y, sobre todo, la incorporación de Paolo Guerrero han cambiado el ánimo del plantel. Guerrero, quien levantó la Copa Sudamericana con LDU apenas el año pasado, ya ha marcado contra Defensa y Justicia en esta competencia. Su experiencia es el argumento más sólido que tiene Vallejo esta noche.
Los argentinos, por su parte, no llegan en su mejor momento. Su registro en el torneo local es irregular y, para colmo, el lunes sufrieron la baja de Gastón Togni por rotura de ligamentos cruzados —una lesión que lo alejará al menos seis meses. Es una pérdida sensible en su ataque. Aun así, los pronósticos los favorecen sobre Vallejo, que también deberá prescindir del arquero José Carvallo, suspendido por incidentes del año pasado.
Es el primer cruce entre estos dos clubes y la primera vez que Vallejo enfrenta a un rival argentino en este torneo. Para el equipo peruano, la noche en Mansiche es una oportunidad de reescribir una historia reciente que no los favorece. Para Defensa y Justicia, es la prueba de si su jerarquía internacional puede sostenerse cuando las circunstancias no son ideales. La ventaja de local existe, pero casi todo lo demás apunta hacia los visitantes.
César Vallejo takes the field Tuesday night at Mansiche Stadium in Trujillo with something to prove. The Peruvian club, which finished last in its group during the 2023 Copa Sudamericana, opens its 2024 campaign against Defensa y Justicia of Argentina—a team that knows how to win this tournament. The match kicks off at 9 p.m. Peru time, with ESPN 5 and Star Plus carrying the broadcast across the region.
Vallejo arrives at this moment in an awkward position domestically. The club sits near the bottom of Peru's Liga 1 table, in the relegation zone, a far cry from where management hoped to be at this stage of the season. But the appointment of Guillermo Salas as coach and the presence of Paolo Guerrero, the veteran striker who won the Copa Sudamericana with LDU just last year, offers a different kind of momentum. Guerrero has scored against Defensa y Justicia before in this competition. He knows the opponent. He knows what it takes to win.
Defensa y Justicia arrives in Trujillo with its own complications. The Argentine side has stumbled through its domestic season with an uneven record—a win over Estudiantes de La Plata in their most recent match, but losses in Copa Argentina and a draw against Racing Club before that. In their domestic league group, they sit fourth, clinging to the final playoff spot. They are not the dominant force their recent history might suggest, though they remain the betting favorites. Most sportsbooks give Vallejo odds between 3.40 and 4.00 to win at home, while Defensa y Justicia sits at 2.05 to 2.15.
The Argentine delegation flew to Peru on Monday morning. But they arrive without Gastón Togni, their winger, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Monday—an injury that will sideline him for at least six months. It is a significant blow to their attacking depth. Vallejo, meanwhile, will be without goalkeeper José Carvallo, suspended due to incidents from last year's Copa Sudamericana involving Universitario.
This is the first meeting between these two clubs, and the first time Vallejo faces an Argentine opponent in this tournament. Defensa y Justicia has experience against Peruvian teams, having played Universitario twice in 2021 with one win and one draw. The draw for Group A also includes Deportivo Independiente Medellín and Always Ready, meaning both teams have three more matches ahead in the group stage.
Vallejo will likely field Guerrero up front, flanked by Yorleys Mena and Jairo Vélez, with Frank Ysique and Josepmir Ballón anchoring the midfield. Carlos Grados starts in goal. Defensa y Justicia, adjusting for Togni's absence, will deploy Christopher Fiermarín in goal and a back line of Nicolás Tripichio, Esteban Burgos, Santiago Ramos Mingo, and Darío Cáceres, with Kevin López and Julián López in midfield and Rodrigo Bogarín and Nicolás Fernández in attack.
For Vallejo, this is a chance to erase the memory of last year's group-stage exit. For Defensa y Justicia, it is a test of whether they can maintain their tournament pedigree despite domestic struggles and the loss of a key attacking player. The home crowd at Mansiche, a stadium with a capacity of 25,000, will be Vallejo's advantage. Everything else—experience, recent form, the weight of expectation—tilts toward the visitors.
Notable Quotes
Vallejo finished last in its group during the 2023 Copa Sudamericana— Tournament record
Guerrero won the Copa Sudamericana with LDU in 2023 and was important to obtaining that title— Tournament history
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does this match matter beyond the immediate result? What's the larger story here?
Vallejo is trying to rehabilitate itself after a humiliating 2023 Copa Sudamericana where they finished last in their group. This is their chance to show they belong in continental competition. But they're also struggling domestically, in the relegation zone. So this tournament becomes a kind of lifeline—a way to build confidence and maybe shift the narrative around the club.
And Guerrero—is he the difference-maker here?
He's the credibility. He won this exact tournament last year with LDU. He's played against this opponent before and scored. For a club in Vallejo's position, having a player of his experience and pedigree changes the psychology. The team believes differently when he's on the field.
Defensa y Justicia seems like the obvious favorite, but they're arriving wounded—missing Togni for six months. How much does that hurt them?
It's real damage. Togni is an attacking player, and they're already struggling to score consistently in their domestic league. Losing him for half a year forces them to adjust their entire approach. They're not the same team that won this tournament before.
So Vallejo actually has a genuine opening here?
More than that—they have home advantage, a crowd, and an opponent dealing with injury and domestic inconsistency. On paper, Defensa y Justicia is favored. But the conditions are there for an upset. Vallejo just has to execute.
What happens if Vallejo loses this match?
The pressure intensifies immediately. They're already in the domestic relegation zone. A loss at home to a wounded Argentine team would deepen the sense that they don't belong at this level. But a win—even a draw—changes everything about how the season feels.