Sporting Cristal - Universitario: Universitario makes one change and names squad for Gallardo clash

Universitario de Deportes will travel to the Alberto Gallardo to face Sporting Cristal this Saturday in the fourth date of the Liga 1 Torneo Apertura, with kickoff scheduled for 16: 00. The match matters because the ‘cremas’ arrive after an uneven start and the coaching staff has made a single confirmed change to the matchday plan.

Sporting Cristal - Universitario: Development details

Head coach Javier Rabanal has left the core of his lineup unchanged and confirmed one specific selection decision: Sekou Gassama will not be considered for the match on Saturday. Rabanal judged that the Spanish-Senegalese forward is not yet at full physical capacity, so he will remain out of contention while continuing to work on his fitness.

José ‘Tunche’ Rivera returns to the list of convocados and will serve as the primary alternative to the starting strike pair of Alex Valera and Lisandro Alzugaray. The Brazilian midfielder Miguel Silveira is back in the matchday concentration after having been on the bench previously; he has not yet debuted for the club and could be used in the second half depending on how the game unfolds.

These adjustments come into effect as Universitario prepares to play at the Alberto Gallardo in a fixture listed at 16: 00 on the schedule for the weekend’s fourth round of the Apertura. The Liga 1 calendar places this match on Saturday, alongside other fixtures including FC Cajamarca vs Melgar and Cienciano vs Alianza Atlético.

Context and escalation

Universitario’s opening three matches of the Torneo Apertura have produced mixed results. The team won its first-round game against ADT at the Monumental, producing a stronger second-half performance. In the following outing at altitude against Cusco FC, the side left points behind after a contentious penalty awarded to the opponent. In the most recent match versus Cienciano, Universitario dominated large portions of the game but ended with a narrow margin after an error by goalkeeper Diego Romero; despite that mistake, Romero has been assessed as having shown good level across the three matches.

On the broader table this weekend, Melgar and FC Cajamarca sit level at the top with perfect records, increasing the pressure on mid-table teams, including Universitario, to keep pace. The fourth date brings intensified attention to head-to-head clashes that can define early momentum in the Apertura.

Immediate impact

The omission of Sekou Gassama directly affects the team’s attacking depth: with Gassama not considered, Rivera steps up as the first substitute option behind the starting duo of Valera and Alzugaray. That selection reflects a cause-and-effect chain the coach has drawn from fitness assessments — Gassama’s reduced physical readiness caused his exclusion, which in turn elevates Rivera’s role.

Silveira’s late arrival to preseason and limited minutes (he featured only in the club’s Noche Crema friendly appearance) mean he remains an option off the bench rather than a guaranteed starter. The coaching staff has positioned him as a tactical second-half resource should the match scenario require midfield reinforcement.

The game will also be shaped by public expectations: a broadcast panel gave a unified forecast that Sporting Cristal would not secure a victory at home, instead predicting a draw or a narrow win for Universitario. That commentary raises the stakes for both sides and frames the Alberto Gallardo encounter as likely to be tightly contested.

Forward outlook

All confirmed milestones lead into the Saturday meeting: kickoff at 16: 00 at the Alberto Gallardo, the fourth round of the Torneo Apertura, and a matchday that will feed directly into the early-season standings. Universitario’s immediate priority is the match itself; selection choices already announced—Gassama excluded, Rivera reinstated, Silveira available from the bench—will determine substitution options and tactical flexibility during the 90 minutes.

What makes this notable is the continuity in Rabanal’s approach—opting for stability while managing players’ fitness—an approach that could influence how the squad navigates the next set of fixtures in an Apertura campaign where small margins have already produced decisive effects in the standings.