Alianza Lima defeated Brazil’s Grêmio 2–0 in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana playoff for a place in the round of 16, played on Wednesday night at Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in Lima. Substitute Gaspar Gentile broke the deadlock in the 58th minute and winger Eryc Castillo doubled the lead three minutes later, giving the Peruvian club a firm advantage ahead of next week’s return match in Porto Alegre. The victory marks Alianza’s first in the Sudamericana since 2002 and comes under new manager Pipo Gorosito. Mano Menezes’s Grêmio, already reeling from a 4–1 domestic league loss to Cruzeiro three days earlier, must win the 23 July second leg by at least three goals to advance outright or by two to force a penalty shoot-out.