Dario Benedetto celebrated an official goal again after more than two years without scoring. The Argentine striker scored the goal that gave Barcelona de Guayaquil a 1-0 victory over Tecnico Universitario on Saturday in the first match of Ecuador's Liga Pro, ending a personal scoring drought that had lasted 40 games. Get 20% off UEFA Champions League broadcasts in Spanish on DAZN. The 35-year-old striker needed just twelve minutes on the pitch to find the back of the net. Benedetto came on in the 60th minute, replacing Uruguayan Sergio Nunez, and capitalized on a clear opportunity after a rebound from Argentine goalkeeper Santiago Razzeto, who failed to control a previous shot by Joao Rojas. Alert in the box, the Argentine tapped the ball in, sparking celebrations in Guayaquil. 'Pipa' joined the Ecuadorian club this season at the request of Venezuelan coach Cesar Farias. Although this was his debut in the local championship, he had already started the previous Wednesday in the 0-1 defeat against Argentinos Juniors, in the first leg of the second phase of the Copa Libertadores.

A goal that breaks the streak and renews confidence

The goal not only represented three points for Barcelona. It also meant the end of a drought that included stints at Boca Juniors (10 matches), Queretaro (8), Olimpia (12), Newell's (9) and a previous match with Barcelona itself. With this goal, Benedetto reached 173 goals in his professional career and eased the pressure ahead of the crucial continental match against Argentinos Juniors. After the game, the striker expressed his excitement in statements to Zapping TV: "I'm very happy and pleased with this award, I hope it's the first of many. After a long time, I was able to score again. That's because the fans treated me well, my teammates welcomed me very warmly. I hope we can continue like this, this is just the beginning, and I hope it's the first of many." He also spoke about his role within the squad and the internal competition. "You try to help out because you're watching what's happening from the bench,But always to add to the team and move forward. I think we've built a great group, very competitive, which is good for the coach,who has a tough job choosing the starting eleven. That's how teams and players improve; “we're on the right track.” Regarding the upcoming international challenge against Argentinos Juniors, Benedetto was clear: “Now we have to focus on the Copa Libertadores match. “It's really going to be difficult against a team that plays well and has beaten us at home.” It's 90 minutes, it's a different game, we have a lot of faith that we can turn things around and hopefully we will.” In other results from the day, Mushuc Runa drew 1-1 away against Aucas. The home team took the lead with a penalty from Bolivian Bruno Miranda, but Panamanian Manuel Gamboa equalized. Aucas finished with nine players after the expulsions of Virgilio Olaya and Steven Tapiero. The round will continue this Sunday and conclude on Monday, while the match between Universidad Catolica and Emelec was suspended.