Guayaquil City edge LDU Quito in comeback win
Guayaquil City completed a remarkable turnaround to beat LDU Quito 2:1 at the Estadio Christian Benitez Betancur in the Liga Pro regular season. The hosts took the lead through Yerlin Quinonez in the 39th minute before Miller Bolaños equalised for the visitors just before half-time. By then the match looked destined for a draw, but Diego Dorregaray scored in the 86th minute to secure all three points for his side.
LDU Quito dominated possession at 57 per cent and launched 109 attacks compared to 87 from the hosts. They registered 17 shots but could only manage two on target, while Guayaquil City were more clinical with six attempts and three on target. And here's the thing — the visitors created similar big chances but simply couldn't finish when it mattered.
There were five substitutions in the second half, with LDU bringing on three players including Marcelo Weigandt and Sebastián González. The hosts responded with four changes, introducing Edinson Mero and Pablo González among others. The replacements failed to alter the pattern, though Guayaquil City's fresh legs eventually found the winner.
Both sides collected two yellow cards each during the contest. Michael Estrada went off early on the five-minute mark, and LDU's Miller Bolaños and Marcelo Weigandt were booked before the break. Kevin Sambonino received the final caution in stoppage time, bringing the disciplinary tally to a relatively clean affair.
The result moves Guayaquil City to 36 points in ninth place, maintaining their record of nine wins, nine draws and nine losses from 27 games. LDU Quito remain fifth with 41 points, their tally of 12 victories and five draws keeping them clear of the drop zone. The visitors had won their previous two matches 1:0 and 2:0, but this outing showed why football rarely follows a straight line.
What stood out was the contrast between control and efficiency. LDU Quito passed the ball 483 times with 314 into the opposition half, yet their attacking output lacked teeth. Guayaquil City played with fewer passes but made their moments count, turning possession into goals when the game needed it most. That is often the difference between teams that dominate and teams that win.