Alan Cantero scored twice as Peru's Alianza Lima clinched a 2-0 home win over Ecuadorian side Universidad Catolica in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana round of 16 duel on Wednesday.

Cantero broke the deadlock with a looping 76th-minute header and he doubled the advantage with a clinical finish on the counterattack three minutes from time.

"I've had a rough period with injuries and these goals feel like a reward for my efforts," Cantero said.

"We had several chances to put the game away earlier tonight but we showed great concentration and got the result that we were seeking."

The result means that Alianza Lima needs only to draw next Wednesday's decisive second leg to progress to the quarterfinals.

In other Copa Sudamericana round of 16 first-leg clashes on Wednesday, Bolivar secured a 2-0 home win over Cienciano.