MALACATÁN, Guatemala (Interstat) — Malacateco and Guastatoya meet Saturday in a pivotal Week 12 matchup of the Guatemalan Liga Nacional, with the home side riding momentum and the visitors desperate to end a skid.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. local time at Estadio Municipal Santa Lucía in Malacatán.

Malacateco enters Saturday’s contest on a high note after a 3-1 victory at Municipal on April 26. That result snapped a three-match losing streak and gave the home side its first win in five games. Prior to that triumph, Malacateco had lost four straight — all by 1-0 scorelines, including a defeat at Achuapa, a loss at Xinabajul and a pair of 1-0 setbacks against Municipal and Xelajú. Overall, Malacateco has struggled to generate offense this season, being held scoreless in seven of its past 10 matches.

Guastatoya, meanwhile, is coming off a humbling 5-0 loss at Comunicaciones on April 26. The defeat was the second in three days for the visitors, who also lost 1-0 at Comunicaciones on April 25. Guastatoya has now lost three of its past four matches, with the lone bright spot being a 2-1 defeat at Municipal on April 12 that snapped a brief winless run. The visitors’ season has been erratic: they have not won consecutive games since mid-March and have been shut out in five of their last 11 outings.

Saturday’s fixture marks the fourth meeting between the two sides this season. Malacateco won the most recent encounter, 1-0 at home on April 2. That result followed a 1-1 draw in Guastatoya on Feb. 14. The teams have split the past four head-to-head contests, with each side winning twice and one match ending in a draw. Malacateco holds a slight edge, outscoring Guastatoya 4-3 in those four games.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the matchup projects as a 1-1 draw. The same system’s ELO model gives Malacateco a 68.30 percent probability of victory.

Both teams will be looking to improve their standing in the Liga Nacional table as the regular season moves past its halfway point.