Cienciano crush Cajamarca 5-2 and turn toward Montevideo City Torque

Cienciano turned a 2-0 deficit into a 5-2 rout of Cajamarca on Friday, producing an attacking display that sends the Cusco side into its Copa Sudamericana quarter-final with renewed confidence.

Cajamarca struck twice inside the opening 19 minutes through Brandon Palacios and Mauricio Arrasco. Cienciano responded quickly. Carlos Cabello pulled one back in the 21st minute, Ray Sandoval equalized in the 36th, and Argentina’s Neri Bandiera completed the turnaround four minutes before halftime.

Uruguay’s Cristian Souza added a fourth in the 74th minute, and Ecuadorian forward Carlos Garcés Acosta completed the scoring in the 84th. Paraguayan defender Claudio Núñez, a former Nacional player, came on for the second half in place of Henry Caparó and helped secure the result in defense and at full-back. Former Sportivo Ameliano full-back Marcos Martinich also appeared.

Having completed its domestic assignment, Cienciano will now focus on the international stage. The first leg of its Copa Sudamericana quarter-final against Montevideo City Torque will take place next Thursday at the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Stadium.

The tie represents Cienciano’s most important match in two decades, according to the report. The Peruvian club is seeking to revive memories of 2003, when it won the continental tournament. It reached the quarter-finals after eliminating its opponent by a decisive aggregate score.