San Antonio secured a 1-0 victory over El Nacional in the twenty-first round of Liga Pro Serie B on Thursday evening. The result leaves the visitors six points clear of the hosts in the table, with San Antonio occupying sixth place on 31 points while El Nacional remain twelfth on 12.
The decisive moment arrived almost immediately after a missed opportunity. El Nacional saw a penalty waved away at the seventh minute, and within a minute J. Landazury struck for San Antonio. And here's the thing about such a tight window—teams rarely recover from that kind of swing.
El Nacional dominated possession at 55 per cent but found themselves chasing shadows. They registered 75 attacks and nine corners, yet managed only five shots on target compared to San Antonio's seven from 67 attacks. To be fair, the visitors were sharper when it mattered.
Discipline proved uneven across the pitch. El Nacional collected a single yellow card while San Antonio picked up two bookings in the closing stages. The hosts also committed one offside and conceded 14 free kicks, while the visitors remained offside-free and drew 11 free kicks of their own.
The statistical picture tells a familiar story. El Nacional threw 27 throw-ins and earned 14 goal kicks, suggesting sustained pressure that never quite broke through. San Antonio, with 25 throw-ins and 14 goal kicks, absorbed the pressure and countered effectively.
Recent form adds context to the result. San Antonio have won three of their last five league games, including victories over Guayas and Cumbayá. El Nacional, by contrast, have won just two of their past 22 matches and lost 14 of them.
The goal difference remains modest for both sides, but this result tightens the gap between them. San Antonio move further from the relegation zone while El Nacional continue their struggle to find consistency in the lower half of the table.