Musuk Runa held on to beat Dolphin 1:0 in the Liga Pro at Estadio COAC on Thursday evening. The result keeps the hosts eight points clear of the relegation zone while extending Dolphin's struggles at the wrong end of the table. Nazareno Bazán provided the decisive moment after a frustrating half where his goal was disallowed by video review.
By then the game had settled into a pattern the hosts could work with. They kept the ball comfortably, moving it through the middle with 62 per cent possession and 116 passes into the final third. Dolphin tried to frustrate with 31 clearances and 13 tackles, but they rarely reached the attacking third — only 34 passes went forward there.
And here's the thing about the first half. Bazán thought he had opened the scoring in 45+5 minutes but the goal was cancelled after VAR review. The visitors had their chances to respond, but 5 shots off target and zero big chances created shows they couldn't find a rhythm. Emerson Espinoza picked up a yellow card in 30 minutes as the tempo grew tighter.
To be fair, Musuk Runa didn't dominate the way the scoreline might suggest. They had 2 shots on target and 5 shots off target — 7 attempts producing only one goal. Anthony Bedoya and Bryan Corozo went into the book for the hosts as the game opened up after the break.
The goal came in 61 minutes when Bazán finally found the net, but then the hosts had to defend their lead. Thiago Ozaeta and Freddy Mina came on for the visitors in 70 minutes, while Nazareno Bazán himself was substituted in 80 — perhaps not the finish he wanted after his earlier disallowance.
The statistics tell you how one-sided the approach was. 278 passes in the opposition half compared to 160 for Dolphin. 24 crosses versus 19. Even the aerial duels were even — 23 each — but Musuk Runa won 13 of theirs.
What it means for the table is straightforward. Dolphin's 15th place position with 24 points from 27 games shows they have not won since mid-August. Musuk Runa's 9 wins, 9 draws, 9 losses pattern continues — they are not climbing, but they are not falling either.