From the preview of the match between Alliance Lima and Deportivo Garcilaso –which would end with a 3-2 in favor of the ‘blue and whites’– there was a lot of mystery about who was awarded as the best player of the Opening Tournament 2023. It was evident that he would be one of the ‘Intimates’, but it was not clear who. After the celebrations with the plate and the songs of the fans in the four stands of the Alejandro Villanueva stadium, it was finally revealed that Pablo Sabbag was chosen by the organizers of the championship.
Despite the fact that the Colombian striker only participated in 46.2% of the matches in the Apertura Tournament, that was enough for him, with his 8 goals in 11 games played -10 as a starter-, to be recognized as the best value of this first tournament of the year. . The ‘Sheikh’ scored against Sport Boys, Universitario de Deportes, UTC, Alianza Atlético, Academia Cantolao, Carlos A. Mannucci, Melgar and ADT.
Of all the goals signed by the ‘coffee grower’, five of them came with victory under their arms. Since he assumed the title and Guillermo Salas gave him his support, Sabbag responded with goals and was key for Alianza Lima to start adding their first points in the Apertura Tournament, which were important for them to quickly shake off the ‘walkover’ they suffered against Sporting Cristal on the first day.
The Colombian striker is currently injured and will have a few more weeks to recover while he complies with his therapies. At the moment, his position is well covered by Hernán Barcos, who incidentally scored a double against Deportivo Garcilaso and also reached eight goals so far in the Betsson 1 League.
What’s next for Alianza Lima?
After lifting the Opening Tournament title in front of all his fans, Lima Alliance He will play again in two weeks when he receives Atlético Grau for the first day of the Clausura Tournament. This commitment is scheduled for Friday June 23 from 8:00 pm and will be held at the National Stadium.
This is not all, because the ‘blue and whites’ will have a very tight schedule due to their participation in the Copa Libertadores. Seeking to define its possible classification to the play offs to access the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana, they will visit Athletico Paranaense for the sixth date of the group stage. This duel will be played on Tuesday, June 27 from 5:00 pm at the Joaquim Américo Guimarães stadium.
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