Cristian Palacios, the last Sporting Cristal player to score against a Paraguayan team in the Copa Libertadores

Sports Crystal has the heavy mission of overturning the series against National of Paraguay as part of phase 2 of the Libertadores Cup 2023. It was a 2-0 against which they took in the first leg in Asunción, so in Lima they will be looking to return to continue their international career. However, the last time a player ‘brewer’ could score it to a team ‘Guarani’ It was in 2019, more precisely, Christian Palacios. In this sense, we will tell about his time at the club and his current situation.

To start, we have to go back four years, when the Uruguayan joined the Peruvian team to strengthen the attack, which already included Emanuel Herrera, Fernando Pacheco and Percy Liza. However, after the 2018 national title, Gabriel Costa had to leave in front of an offer from Colo Colo of Chile, in an operation in which Christofer Gonzales was also involved.

Management chose to hire the ‘Chori’came from Puebla de México, to replace the ‘Gabi’. Although his versatility allowed him not only to function on the wings, but also as a centre-forward, decisive factor, to a large extent, to replace the ‘Machinery’ Herrera when he is absent or to make a pair when coach Claudio Vivas requires it.

Sports Crystal faces the Libertadores Cup in 2019 from the group stage with Olimpia from Paraguay, Godoy Cruz from Argentina and Universidad de Concepción from Chile. The first three results of the ‘celestial’ they were discreet (two defeats and a draw). exactly with the ‘Guarani’ in Lima they fell 3-0, but in the second leg in Asunción there was a rematch.

The Argentinian DT suffered a major loss at the start of the year as Emanuel Herrera suffered a serious left knee injury which led to him being out for almost the entire season. Christian Palacios he took his place and helped as much as he could.

But against Olimpia at the Manuel Ferreira stadium, he emerged as the hero by scoring the winning goal. It was in the 45th minute, when he received a ball from Jorge Cazulo to the left wing, faced his marker diagonally and fired a corner which the rival goalkeeper could not avoid.

This result gave the pass to Sports Crystal for the Copa Sudamericana, qualifying third in their group. Besides, it meant the last goal of the club ‘bayo pontine’ to a Paraguayan in the Libertadores Cupa competition in which he has failed to excel, with the exception of second place in 1997.

With the absence of ‘Ema’Palacios became the offensive reference for the team, which was then managed by Manuel Barreto, although his goal production did not match that offered by the Argentine striker (until this time he had scored 50 goals in 59 games), in addition to his missed goals in the Ligue 1 semi-finals.

In total, the ‘Chori’ He scored 20 goals in 48 games, records more than valid for a Peruvian club, but these failures invited to think about another option, considering also that he did not occupy the position for which he had been hired, l ‘far right.

Not having renewed his contract with Sporting Cristal, Christian Palacios signed for Spanish Union Chile in 2020, where he made good numbers in the two years he was there (33 goals in 57 matches).

These numbers have made a great of this country settle in its services, which is why the University of Chile He took him into his ranks in 2022. During this campaign, his goalscoring quota remained on with his 13 goals in 28 games. Also ‘Chori’ stayed in the ‘U’ for the current season, in which he has three goals in four games in the national championship.