And one day, the spectacular streak of Melgar under Marco Valencia came to an end. Alianza Atlético defeated the Dominó 3-1 in Sullana and put an end to a long undefeated run of their rival in Liga 1.
Under the guidance of Peruvian coach, Melgar had gone 15 matches without losing and had nine consecutive victories (seven from Apertura and two from Clausura) until they visited the Vendaval del Chira.
Gerardo Ameli’s team exposed Melgar’s defensive frailty and took the lead in the 14th minute with a header from their top scorer Adrián Fernández.
Leonel Galeano equalized in the 49th minute for a visiting side that had done enough not to be losing.
Melgar did more to deserve the second goal, but Jesús Mendieta scored a stunning goal from outside the box, putting his rival in check. In stoppage time, Renato Espinosa capitalized on an opportunity against a team that was completely committed to getting a draw that never came.
Alianza Atlético achieved their first victory in the Clausura while Melgar remained on six points, and will no longer be able to maintain their lead in the tournament.