LDU Quito took a narrow 1-0 victory away to Aukos in the Liga Pro on Monday, the result decided by a single moment of quality in the thirty-fifth minute. Yerlin Quinonez struck for the visitors, giving them three points on the road at Estadio Gonzalo Pozo Ripalda. The win moved the visitors closer to the home side in the table, though both clubs remain in the upper half of the standings.
By then Aukos had already been pushing forward, but the breakthrough came when Quinonez found space and finished cleanly. LDU Quito's goalkeeper had to make four saves to keep the lead, while Aukos's keeper managed only one. It was a match where the visitors made their chances count and the hosts did not.
Aukos controlled possession at 58 per cent and launched 133 attacks compared to 73 for the visitors, yet they created no big chances. They registered fourteen shots on target but could only manage four on the frame, giving them an accuracy of eighteen per cent. To be fair, they were getting numbers behind the ball, but the final pass was missing.
LDU Quito were far more efficient with what they had. They shot twice on target and scored once, a conversion rate that would suit any side. Their defensive work was heavier — thirty-six clearances against seven — and they won more aerial duels, sixteen to eight. They did not need to dominate the ball to control the outcome.
The match produced ten yellow cards in total, with Aukos picking up six and LDU Quito four. Substitutions came thick and fast after the hour, particularly for the visitors who brought on three players at once in the seventy-first minute. The game settled into a rhythm where Aukos pressed and LDU Quito looked to counter, though the latter rarely had the opportunity to do so.
Before the match Aukos sat third with forty-eight points from twenty-eight games, while LDU Quito were fifth on forty-five from twenty-nine outings. The visitors had shown signs of recovery after a loss to Independiente del Valle, winning three of their last four, and this result kept that momentum going. Aukos meanwhile dropped points after a run that included two clean sheets, and the result leaves them still chasing the leaders.
