Independiente del Valle is on the verge of winning the stage after a 2-0 victory over Aucas in a match played on Friday at Banco de Guayaquil Stadium, Chillo Jijón sector, near Sangolquí, at the start of Matchday 13 of the Phase One of LigaPro-2023.
The reds started building their victory with a goal from Yaimar Medina in the 17th minute, which served to break the defending champion's defensive strategy.
The Quito idol went in search of the equalizer and put pressure on the goal defended by Moisés Ramírez, who looked impeccable in this match.
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On the contrary, his colleague Damián Frascarelli was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in less than a minute at the end of the first half (45'+3).
In the second half, sacrificing a forward (Luis Cano) for the entry of goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez, the yellow team continued in search of the equalizer, but the reds defended well and looked for opportunities on the counterattack.
And so, Del Valle won a penalty kick that midfielder Junior Sornoza converted into a goal in the 64th minute for the second by the home team.
Aucas, with plenty of courage, continued fighting, but Ramírez denied them the possibility of scoring with a couple of very determined saves.
With this victory, IDV reached 31 points, 8 more than second-placed Barcelona (23), who will play against Emelec on Saturday.
With two matchdays remaining, Del Valle, with one more win, will be able to secure first place and become the first finalist of this season.
The Aucas idol stopped at 21 points and has no chance of winning the phase in order to secure the title they won last year.
In the next matchday, the fourteenth and penultimate of this stage, Del Valle will visit Orense in Machala, and the eastern team will go to Delfín's home in Manta.