CUENCA, ECUADOR — Deportivo Cuenca delivered a commanding performance at the Banco del Austro Alejandro Serrano Aguil on Wednesday, dismantling local rivals Libertad (Ecuador) 3-0 in their CONMEBOL Sudamericana opener to announce their continental ambitions in emphatic fashion.
Despite being outpossessed for much of the evening—Libertad controlled 57.4 percent of the ball to Cuenca's 42.6—it was the hosts who proved far more clinical when it mattered. The match turned on a moment of individual brilliance in the 22nd minute, when Melvin Díaz curled a left-footed effort from outside the box into the top left corner, assisted by Germán Rivero following a swift counterattack. That strike, against the run of play in terms of possession, set the tone for a disciplined and ruthlessly efficient Cuenca display that would frustrate their opponents throughout the evening.
Libertad, operating in a 4-2-2-2 shape, had their moments but lacked the precision to capitalize. Goalkeeper Facundo Ferrero was called into action on multiple occasions, making three crucial saves to keep the visitors at bay, while Gabriel Cortéz and Vilington Branda both tested him in a lively second-half spell around the 51st minute. But a lack of cutting edge—four shots on target from 16 attempts—ultimately condemned them to defeat.
Cuenca's tactical substitutions proved decisive in the second period. Ignacio Mosquera doubled the advantage in the 67th minute, converting from the centre of the box with his left foot after a corner routine, assisted by Patricio Boolsen. The hosts then sealed the result deep into stoppage time when substitute Nicolás Leguizamón, introduced in the 71st minute, finished from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner following a fast break, with Lucas Mancinelli—another second-half substitute—providing the assist.
The statistics underline Cuenca's efficiency: 20 shot attempts and seven on target compared to Libertad's 16 attempts and four on target. Cuenca's discipline was equally impressive, collecting just one yellow card to Libertad's three, while referee Yael Falcón Pérez oversaw a straightforward evening with no red cards issued.
For Libertad, the defeat compounds a mixed domestic run after drawing with Leones days earlier in LigaPro action. Cuenca, meanwhile, enter continental competition riding a wave of confidence, with this result extending a productive recent stretch for the Azules. Cuenca will look to maintain momentum in their next Sudamericana fixture, while Libertad must regroup quickly as they prepare for their upcoming domestic and continental commitments.