Lanús host Cienciano at Estadio Ciudad de Lanús on 23 July 2026 in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana play off tie. Win and they are in the round of 16, lose and they are out of continental football. Lanús reached the Recopa earlier this year, Cienciano have not been at this stage of continental football in recent memory, so the gap in pedigree is real even if the scorelines have occasionally flattered the Peruvian side.
Mauricio Pellegrino has been in charge at Lanús since January 2025, working with assistants Carlos Compagnucci and Turu Flores on a contract running through the end of 2026. Horacio Melgarejo took over Cienciano in December 2025, supported by assistant Cristian Ruggeri and the two managers have never faced each other before. The clubs themselves have never met in continental competition coming from different domestic leagues.
Lanús have been inconsistent and the results show it. They beat Mirassol 1-0 in the Libertadores group stage on 26 May but that single win sits inside a run of three defeats: 0-2 to LDU Quito on 20 May, a Copa Argentina exit against Instituto de Córdoba on 30 May and a 0-2 Liga Profesional loss to Argentinos Juniors on 9 May. They can compete but three defeats in four, all by two goals, suggests something structural at the back.
Cienciano are a different kind of unreliable: they beat Atlético Mineiro 2-0 in continental play, yet followed that with a 1-3 loss to FBC Melgar around 18 July, with a 3-2 win over Sporting Cristal, a 1-1 draw with Juventud de las Piedras and a 2-2 stalemate against Sport Huancayo scattered in between. They score freely and concede almost as freely.
Lanús are without Yoshan Valois (sprained knee, early July), Medina (hamstring, ongoing since mid May) and Moreno (foot and muscle problems), though no suspensions are reported, whereas Cienciano have no notable injury concerns heading into the match.
Pellegrino's side tend to build methodically through midfield, with Facundo Sánchez and Agustín as the deepest pairing, recycling possession and keeping the ball moving through the thirds. Melgarejo pushes his wide players high, looking to attack before the opposition is set. Garcés and Bandiera have both scored in this continental run and are the main outlet when Cienciano break, typically running in behind the defensive line.
Set pieces are a central part of Lanús' game plan under Pellegrino, who puts real emphasis on delivery and aerial presence in the box. The second leg is in Peru and will bring its own conditions, particularly the altitude but what matters first is what happens on 23 July.
1-0 Lanús. Home advantage and Pellegrino's more structured defence, facing a Cienciano side that has conceded in almost every game of late, make them the likelier side to win this. Cienciano beat Atlético Mineiro 2-0 in this campaign but the likeliest route to a goal for Lanús is a set piece and they have the aerial presence to take it.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
