QUITO, Ecuador (Interstat) — El Nacional defied pregame projections with a convincing 2-0 victory over Macará in a Liga Pro match on Sunday, October 26, 2025, at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa.

The home side seized control early and never relinquished it, with forwards Jeison Chala and Jeremy Mejía scoring first-half goals to secure the three points. The result was a stark contrast to the expectations set by statistical models, which had favored the visiting team.

The match began at a frenetic pace, and El Nacional’s pressure paid off in the ninth minute. Chala, the team’s dynamic forward, opened the scoring with a well-taken early strike, setting the tone for the home side’s dominance.

Macará struggled to find a response, and the physical nature of the contest began to show as the first half progressed. El Nacional’s Andrés Mena received the first yellow card of the match in the 21st minute, followed by a caution for teammate Franklin Carabalí in the 29th minute.

El Nacional doubled its lead in the 35th minute through Mejía. The midfielder found the back of the net to cap a strong team move, with Chala, who had scored the opener, providing the assist for the second goal.

The match’s momentum shifted decisively just before halftime. In the 45th minute, Macará’s Marco Montaño was shown a straight red card, forcing his team to play the entire second half with only 10 men.

The second half saw El Nacional comfortably manage the game against the shorthanded visitors. The match grew increasingly testy, with four yellow cards distributed in the final 20 minutes, including simultaneous cautions for El Nacional’s Chala and Macará’s Charles Vélez in the 81st minute. Substitute José Luis Marrufo was also booked in second-half stoppage time for the hosts.

Despite the numerical advantage, El Nacional was unable to add to its tally in the second half, but the defensive unit, aided by Carabalí’s contribution from the backline, secured the clean sheet. The 2-0 scoreline stood as the final result.

The victory was a collective effort for El Nacional, with six different players registering an assist. Beyond Chala’s goal and assist, key contributions came from Mejía with his goal, and playmakers Marrufo, Pablo González, Carabalí, Vélez and Mena, who each provided an assist in the winning effort.

The win marks a positive start to the Liga Pro campaign for El Nacional, while Macará will look to regroup after an opening match that saw it fail to score and finish with 10 men. Both teams now hold identical records of zero wins and zero losses in the young league season.