LDU Quito and Aucas met in the quarter-finals of the Ecuador Cup on 26 August 2026, and the hosts secured a 1:0 victory thanks to a second-half goal. The match ended cleanly with no dismissals and only one yellow card shown, to the home side.
M. Estrada found the net in the 67th minute, and that proved to be the decisive moment. The goal settled the tie, though by then Aucas had already created more opportunities on paper. They registered 143 attacks compared with 116, and earned four corners to one.
And here's the thing — possession told one story while the result told another. LDU Quito held 57 per cent of the ball, yet Aucas attempted five shots to four, both sides landing two on target. The visitors won the battle for throw-ins too, 22 to 27, but could not convert their share of chances.
The two sides had met just nine days earlier, on 17 August, when LDU Quito also won 1:0. Since then they have kept a clean sheet in consecutive outings, following a 2:0 victory over Emelec and a goalless draw with Mirassol. Aucas, meanwhile, have won two of their last three league fixtures but remain vulnerable in tight encounters.
To be fair, the quarter-final result keeps LDU Quito firmly in contention. The visitors travel to the return leg with work still ahead, and the margin of victory suggests the tie remains finely balanced rather than decided.