Away at Barcelona, Independiente fell to a 2-0 defeat - which leaves them two points shy of league leaders Emelec.
Goals four minutes apart from Luis Caicedo and Ely Esterilla buoyed Barcelona to victory, which took them into fifth place on 18 points.
Independitente remain in second on 25 points, although could have gone top with a win after Emelec stumbled to a 0-0 draw at LDU Quito.
LDU Loja are third on 24 points, after a 1-0 win at home to Olmedo.
Jonny Uchuari's penalty seven minutes in was enough for Loja to earn all three points, and they trail Emelec by that margin.
Universidad Catolica consolidated fourth spot, with a 1-0 win away at Deportivo Quito their second in succession.
Armando Wila netted on the hour mark for Catolica.
Manta sit in sixth - level on points with Barcelona - after claiming a 2-1 win at El Nacional.
Alberto Gomez and Jorge Palacios Avila were on target for Manta, before El Nacional's Vinicio Angulo pulled a goal back inside the final 10 minutes.
The bottom of the table clash between Mushuc Runa and Deportivo Cuenca ended in a stalemate, with the sides sharing the spoils 1-1.
Mushuc Runa had looked to put space on themselves and cellar-dwellers Cuenca with a 26th-minute goal to Carlos Quintero.
But Cuenca ensured just two points separate the teams, as Juan Cobelli equalised with 17 minutes to play.
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