Libertad vs Aucas - Liga Pro

The Liga Pro returns to the home ground on May 2, 2026, where Libertad and Aucas will lock horns in a contest that could shape their respective campaigns. Enzo Maresca and Rico Lewis held a pre-match press conference on Saturday as Manchester City prepare to face Atletico Madrid in their third pre-season friendly of the summer.

There is plenty riding on this Liga Pro encounter for Libertad and Aucas alike, and neither will want to leave the home ground empty-handed. The hosts have struggled for consistency, L in their last five pointing to a win rate of 36.67%. The visitors have been picking up results steadily, DDLWL over their last five with a campaign win rate of 46.67%. Where Libertad have leaned on defensive discipline, Aucas have often taken the initiative going forward, and that stylistic difference should shape the contest. Carrick has experimented with Noussair Mazraoui in that position but he seems to have fallen down the pecking order, as the less experienced Patrick Dorgu was preferred for the Manchester derby loss.

Set-piece efficiency and transition play often decide fixtures of this nature, and both managers will have been drilling those phases on the training ground. And his efficiency in possession will be helped by those whom he now shares a dressing room with, allowing a more progressive midfielder to develop akin to City's style.

The fixture features no shortage of talent, and the league's top marksman E. Mero — 13 goals this term — will be one to watch. Discipline at the back and sharpness in front of goal will likely tilt the balance one way or the other. He cuts inside from the right, jinxes past a defender, before his shot is saved by Esquivel.

Predicting an outright winner is no easy task given how little separates the two sides on paper. A share of the spoils looks the most probable outcome, with neither side holding a decisive edge — a 1-1 draw feels like a fitting result. Whatever the outcome, the Liga Pro fixture promises a meaningful contest with real implications for both clubs. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters says a verdict on the alleged charges against Manchester City "has taken longer than expected".