Atletico beat Deportivo Cuenca Juniors 2-0 in the Promotion Group - 5 of the Liga Pro Serie B on Wednesday evening. The hosts opened the scoring inside the first minute and doubled their advantage shortly after the quarter-hour mark. It was a straightforward afternoon for the side sitting second in the table.
The opening goal came almost immediately, just one minute into the fixture. By then it was clear Atletico were looking to impose themselves from the outset rather than wait for the game to come to them. The early strike set the tone for what followed.
A second goal at the twenty-fourth minute sealed the result and moved Atletico further clear of the visitors. The hosts controlled the tempo and never got out of second gear once they had taken the lead. To be fair, Deportivo Cuenca Juniors did not create much of their own in return.
The statistics tell a story of dominance from one side. Atletico recorded 78 attacks compared to 72 for their opponents, with 68% more throw-ins on their side. Six shots on target against six for the visitors suggests both sides had their chances, but only one side took them. The 59% possession figure does not lie.
We had called for a home win beforehand, with 55% confidence, and that prediction has come good. The early goal meant the visitors never really got into a rhythm, and by then the game was effectively decided. Sometimes it is that simple.
Atletico remain in second place with 38 points from 22 games, while Deportivo Cuenca Juniors sit fourth with 34 points. The four-point gap between them stays the same after this result. Both sides have played the same number of fixtures, so the standings do not shift.
The hosts have now extended their unbeaten run to four matches, though they drew their last outing against UT Cotopequi. For Deportivo Cuenca Juniors, this adds to a mixed recent record that includes two defeats in their last three outings. The promotion race continues as it always does.
