The Peruvian Clásico (El Clásico Peruano) or the Classic of the Classics of Peruvian Football (El Clásico de los Clásicos del Futbol Peruano) is the name given to Peru's biggest football derby between Alianza Lima and Universitario. The rivalry between these two clubs started in their first game on 23 September 1928 when the two first faced off in a violent game. Both clubs come from the capital city, Lima. The rivalry has given rise to an intense conflict between the working class and upper class of Lima, as the city went through a series of changes in the late-1920s, including public works and better education. Alianza Lima—coming from a more working-class neighborhood—has had many black players in its team throughout the years, whereas Universitario, which was founded by a group of university students, produced many white players. Therefore, in some occasions, the duel between the two teams is also labeled as negros contra blancos. Out of the 371 matches played, Alianza has come out victorious 142 times, more than Universitario's 124.

History

The first Clásico took place on 23 September 1928 between Federación Universitaria and Alianza Lima. Alianza Lima was the favorite of the game because they had already been champions of the League and also Federación Universitaria was a fairly new club, founded only four years ago and it being their first year in the first division. However, Federacion Universitaria won the game with an early penalty goal during the first-half at the seventh minute by Pablo Pacheco. By the eighty-first minute, Alianza Lima had lost 5 players to red cards and the game was suspended by the Uruguayan referee Julio Borelli. The violence was also seen in the stands between the fans of Federacion Universitaria and Alianza's players. Fans threw canes at the players and because of this, years later this match was nicknamed El Clásico de los Bastonazos.

Finals, semi-finals and title deciders

Alianza Lima and Universitario have met in several league finals and title-deciding matches. Despite Alianza Lima having an advantage over Universitario in games won, Universitario has claimed the most title-deciding matches. These include:

Statistics

Trophies

Games

As of 8 November 2023

Records

Results

Primera División

Campeonato de Selección y Competencia (1928–1950)

Campeonato Profesional de Lima (1951–1965)

Torneo Descentralizado (1966–2018)

Liga 1 (2019–present)

International

Torneo Apertura

Filler tournament

During the 1969 season, Universitario and Alianza Lima faced off in a filler tournament. The tournament did not award points towards the Descentralizado of the season.

Friendlies

Footnotes