Alianza Lima will face Deportivo Cali on Sunday, July 12, at the estadio Alejandro Villanueva, and the match will carry an added pull for supporters because Pedro Gallese is set to return to the same ground where he defended the club in 2019. The friendly will start at 15:30 hours in Peru and Colombia, with América Televisión showing it on channel 4 and channel 704 in HD, while América TVGO will also carry the broadcast.
The timing matters because Alianza Lima is using the game to keep sharp during the pause for Mundial 2026 and to get ready for the restart of Liga 1. That need is sharper after a mixed run of closed-door friendlies, including wins over Deportivo Moquegua and San Martín, two draws with Melgar in Lurín, and a 4-1 loss to Sport Boys in the most recent test.
For Gallese, the return is the detail that gives the match its edge. He will step back into Matute, the stadium where he once wore the Alianza Lima shirt, in a fixture that is part reunion and part check-up on where the squad stands before competition resumes. Supporters will be watching not only for the result, but for how much the goalkeeper is used and how the team responds after the heavy defeat to Sport Boys.
Deportivo Cali arrives with its own momentum. Rafael Dudamel’s side has put together a positive run in Copa Colombia, beating Real Santander 2-1 away on May 24, after earlier wins over Alianza Valledupar, Boca Juniors de Cali and Atlético Bucaramanga. That form gives the friendly a little more weight than a routine exhibition and makes it a useful test for both sides.
The confirmed next step is simple: Alianza Lima vs Deportivo Cali kicks off at 15:30 hours on Sunday at Matute. What remains to be seen is how long Gallese stays on the pitch, but his return alone turns a preseason friendly into one of the club’s most watched dates of the break.
