GUATEMALA CITY (Interstat) — A crucial Liga Nacional clash with playoff implications sees struggling Malacateco visit the capital to face a resurgent Municipal on Saturday.

The match at the Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera comes with both teams seeking consistency in the latter stages of the 2025-26 Clausura season. Municipal (5-4-5, 19 points) enters with momentum from a dominant 4-1 win over Aurora on March 15, but is looking to rebound from a 3-1 away loss to league-leaders Xelajú on March 19. Their form at home has been strong, including a 4-1 victory over Malacateco in the most recent head-to-head meeting last October.

Malacateco (4-6-4, 18 points) is mired in a severe slump, having lost five consecutive matches. Their most recent was a 1-0 defeat at Xelajú on March 21. During this skid, they have been shut out four times and have scored only one goal. The visiting side’s last win came on Feb. 18. Historical trends offer a mixed bag; while Municipal won decisively in October, Malacateco secured a 3-2 victory in the capital last August.

Municipal’s attack, led by recent multi-goal performances, will test a Malacateco defense that has conceded frequently during its losing streak. Conversely, Malacateco’s hopes may hinge on breaking a scoring drought against a Municipal backline that has been uneven.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 1-1 draw. A point would be a positive result for Malacateco to halt its slide, while Municipal will view this as a must-win opportunity to solidify its top-eight standing.

This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the clubs in April, with a return fixture set for April 26.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. local time Saturday at Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera in Guatemala City.