Nicaragua Primera Division leaders Managua FC host fifth-place Jalapa ART on Thursday. Managua are 13 points ahead of Jalapa ART in the league table and head into the match unbeaten in their last five league fixtures.
Jalapa ART are coming off of back to back draws in the Primera. The club played out a nil-nil match with Diriangen last time out. Jalapa ART have seen their last two matches in the Primera end nil-nil as the club. The club has not scored a goal in their last three league fixtures.
Managua will feel confident of picking up three more points. They are five points above second-place Real Esteli and could move their lead to eight points. Managua won at the weekend against Deportivo Las Sabanas 1-0 thanks to a first-minute goal from Nasael Alvarez.
Los Leones Azules are unbeaten in seven straight matches in all competitions versus Jalapa ART. Five of those seven games ended in victory. Each of the last five matches played at Managua’s Estadio Olímpico del IND finished with the home side winning.
Managua’s three home victories saw them amass a combined 12-2 scoreline. Jalapa ART did secure a 1-1 draw the last time the two clubs met in March.
Carlos Felix has bagged 16 goals in all competitions for Managua this term. He has accounted for half of the club’s total goals.
Jalapa ART have got most of their scoring from Luis Galeano. The forward has scored eight times in all competitions. Jalapa ART have not been very good in front of goal despite sitting in fifth in the Primera. They have scored just 16 team goals.
The visitors will have difficulty getting on the scoresheet once more this week. They have failed to score in their last 270 minutes of Primera football. Managua have only conceded 16 times. Seven of those goals were allowed at home. Jalapa ART have only scored seven goals away from home.
Thursday’s match should be low scoring with Managua holding Jalapa ART scoreless once more. Managua have been good at both ends and should once again collect all three points.
Managua will once again keep a clean sheet with the midweek match finishing with under 2.5 goals scored. Managua only average 1.63 Primera goals in the clausura.
Meanwhile, Jalapa ART average fewer than 1.0 goals per game in the clausura. Managua will pick up a win and continue their path toward the Primera Division clausura title.