Barcelona SC vs Universidad Católica ends 1-1 after late drama

Erick Mendoza rescued Barcelona with a stoppage time header, but the Monumental had another scare waiting. Católica thought they had won moments later, only for offside to cancel their celebration.

Barcelona SC vs Universidad Católica finished 1-1 on Sunday, October 18, in Guayaquil. Azarías Londoño had put the visitors ahead before Mendoza struck at 90+4. However, the late escape left the hosts facing familiar questions about their attacking play.

Star Us on Google Search

A point rescued at the Monumental

Round three of the championship hexagonal brought relief rather than satisfaction for the home support. Barcelona avoided another defeat after losing away to Liga de Quito in the previous round.

However, the result still left the Toreros bottom of the six-team group. Their late response changed the mood inside the stadium without improving their league table position.

Católica, meanwhile, came within minutes of taking three points back to Quito. They had already seen an early finish ruled out before eventually finding a legitimate breakthrough.

Neither side could turn its best spell into a decisive advantage. Instead, decisions around the offside line shaped the afternoon as much as the finishing.

For Barcelona, another home draw exposed the gap between staying competitive and controlling a match. The final whistle brought an emotional reprieve, while the larger problem remained. Still, the hosts needed a win to improve their standing in the continental qualification race.

Londoño breaks through after VAR review

Católica found their opening in the 65th minute through Azarías Londoño. Mauricio Alonso lifted the ball towards the far post, where the striker finished with a volley.

LONDOÑOOOO 👀🩵 El delantero de @UCatolicaEC la mandó a adentro y tras revisión de VAR se convalidó el 0-1 para la visita en Guayaquil. #LigaEcuabet conectada x #Xtrim 🤳🏻 https://t.co/XJZ3xxWI4B
— Zapping Ecuador (@zapping_ecu) October 18, 2026

Initially, an offside decision interrupted the visitors’ celebration. However, the review overturned that call and allowed the goal to stand. Barcelona now had to chase the game, while Católica could look for space behind their advancing opponents.

Mendoza turns a corner into a lifeline

As time ran down, Barcelona played more directly towards the penalty area. However, their changes had not produced a sustained improvement in the quality of their attacks.

Saltó como un gigante 👏🏻 Mendoza ganó de cabeza tras un tiro de esquina y convirtió el 1-1 para @BarcelonaSC en el tiempo añadido. #LigaEcuabet conectada x #Xtrim 🤳🏻 https://t.co/RGRm1gfZVM
— Zapping Ecuador (@zapping_ecu) October 18, 2026

At 90+4, Damián Díaz delivered the corner that finally brought a reward. Mendoza met the cross with a header and brought the host’s level.Erick Mendoza’s goal rewarded an accurate delivery.

Barcelona SC vs Universidad Católica leaves the race unresolved

Yet the late drama continued when Darwin Nazareno finished a Católica counterattack deep into added time. However, another offside review denied the visitors a winning goal.

Barcelona SC vs Universidad Católica therefore ended with one point apiece. The hosts moved to 45 points, while the Quito side reached 52.

In the LigaPro 2026 championship group, Católica occupied fourth place. Barcelona remained sixth, seven points behind their opponents.

Why neither side finished the job

Mendoza’s header showed Barcelona could still threaten from a dead ball. Nevertheless, one successful corner could not disguise their difficulty creating better openings through general play.

Católica found enough attacking opportunities to threaten a victory away from home. Yet their failure to protect the lead left the door open. As a result, both teams had reasons to regret how the closing stages unfolded.

Right after you wrap up your betstar77 register phase and sign in via your betstar77 login, you take absolute ownership of the entire board. That said, let’s keep it straight, putting down wagers without an airtight spending boundary is a quick route to derailing a great session.