By January 1814, Royalist forces had received reinforcements from the Viceroy of Peru and had taken the Patriot stronghold of Talca in March.

This had split the line of communication between the two main Patriot armies, led by Bernardo O'Higgins and Juan Mackenna respectively.

Gabino Gaínza, the Royalist commander, sent Manuel Barañao with a vanguard of troops, some 400 strong, across the Itata river to prevent O'Higgins from reuniting his army with Mackenna's, resulting in the Battle of El Quilo.

O' Higgins instead immediately launched an attack without pausing to assess the situation, relying on his larger force and aggression.

Concerned that if he pursued Barañao, the royalist commanders would recombine their forces and defeat him, O'Higgins instead entrenched his existing position and stayed on his bank of the river.