MALACATÁN, Guatemala (Interstat) — Malacateco secured a 2-1 victory over Marquense in a Liga Nacional match on Wednesday, completing a season sweep of its regional rival in a contest that defied one statistical projection while fulfilling another.

The match at Estadio Municipal Santa Lucía saw the home side strike early and then respond to a second-half equalizer to claim all three points. The result improved Malacateco’s record in the competition to 12 wins, 13 losses and three draws. Marquense’s struggles continued, falling to six wins, 15 losses and six draws.

The game began at a furious pace, with Malacateco’s Matías Roskopf finding the net in just the seventh minute to give the hosts an immediate advantage. The early goal energized the home supporters and set the tone for a first half largely controlled by Malacateco. The lead was doubled in the 21st minute when Diego Casas scored, seemingly putting Malacateco in a commanding position before the halftime whistle.

Marquense, however, refused to capitulate. After a 5-0 loss to Guastatoya and a 2-0 defeat to Municipal in its two most recent league outings, the visiting side showed resilience. Ángel López provided a lifeline in the 65th minute, cutting the deficit in half and setting up a tense final 25 minutes. Marquense pressed for an equalizer but could not break through the Malacateco defense a second time.

The win marks Malacateco’s second over Marquense this Liga Nacional season, following an identical 2-1 result on Nov. 1. That game was also played at this venue, though Marquense had previously earned a decisive 4-1 win when the teams met in August.

The outcome stood in contrast to the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 1-1 draw. However, the result aligned with the same service’s ELO rating system, which gave Malacateco an 80.40 percent probability to win the match. The victory provides a positive start to the latter phase of the season for Malacateco, which had experienced mixed results in recent weeks, including a 2-0 loss to Antigua GFC and a 1-0 win over Aurora in its previous two matches.

For Marquense, the search for consistency continues. The team has now lost three consecutive Liga Nacional matches since its last victory, a 1-0 win over Xelaju on Nov. 5. Its road form has been particularly challenging, with the club managing only a single win in its last five away fixtures in all competitions.

Both teams now look ahead to their next league engagements. Malacateco is scheduled to host Mictlan on Thursday, Jan. 29, seeking to build momentum from this win. Marquense faces a difficult task in its next match, hosting league power Antigua GFC on Saturday, Jan. 31.