Barcelona SC suffered a 3-0 defeat against Macará at Bellavista stadium on October 31 during the fifth round of the LigaPro final hexagonal.
ecuavisa.com reported that the Guayaquil side endured a difficult outing on Halloween night in Ambato, leaving the team rooted at the bottom of the hexagonal table with 48 units. The result also forces Independiente del Valle to wait another round to secure the league title, regardless of their fixture against Liga de Quito.
Early Setbacks and Disallowed Chances
The home side established control early in the match. Just eight minutes into the contest, Franco Posse opened the scoring for Macará with a precise header, anticipating defender Gustavo Vallecilla to turn in a cross from Jean Carlos Estacio. Barcelona SC attempted to respond, increasing their offensive pressure to find an equalizer.
During that spell of pressure, Macará launched a rapid counterattack that culminated in an Agustín Campana goal. However, officials disallowed the effort due to an offside infringement during the buildup. Despite retaining a larger share of possession afterward, Barcelona failed to break through the defensive block of goalkeeper Rodrigo Rodríguez.
Before the halftime whistle, Macará capitalized on defensive lapses to extend their lead. Denilson Bolaños drove down the flank and fed José Klinger, who laid the ball off to Agustín Campana. Campana unleashed a long-range shot that appeared routine for Venezuelan goalkeeper José David Contreras, but an awkward bounce deceived the netminder and crossed the goal line.
Tactical Shifts and Second-Half Collapse
In an effort to reverse the momentum, Pablo Trobbiani introduced Damián “Kitu” Díaz, Tomás Rodríguez, and Luis Cano at the restart. Despite the substitutions, the rhythm of the game remained dictated by the hosts. Macará maintained sustained possession through the midfield while Barcelona players offered minimal pressure during the build-up phase.
At the 62nd minute, Estacio delivered another decisive cross into the box. Posse met the delivery with a header that was initially blocked by Contreras, but the Uruguayan forward reacted quickest to drive the rebound into the net for his second goal of the evening.
The definitive result cements Macará’s grip on second place in the final hexagonal standings with 66 points, while Barcelona SC remains at the foot of the table with 48 points, ending their continental ambitions for the 2027 campaign.
