Chinandega vs Real Esteli Predictions

• Real Esteli have won four of their previous seven contests
• Chinandega have managed only five wins in their 15 Clausura league games
• Both teams have scored in only four of Real Esteli’s 15 Clausura matches this season
• Only Diriangen have managed more Clausura clean sheets than Real Esteli this term

Recent form only tells half the story

The formbook favours hosts Chinandega in their next Nicaraguan Clausura contest against Real Esteli but the visitors should fancy their chances of asserting their superiority.

Esteli’s draw with Juventus Managua in midweek made it two draws and a loss from their last three games, while Chinandega have edged into the top six with back-to-back wins against Jalapa and Juventus Managua.

However, it is worth noting that two of the games Real failed to win were against outfits in the Clausura’s top four and they have been the better of the two sides this campaign.

Esteli are ten points better off in the Clausura than Chinandega, who have still lost more games (seven) than they have won (five) this campaign. Meanwhile the visitors have won eight, drawn four and lost only three matches this season, having scored 24 goals in their 15 encounters.

Esteli set to continue excellent away record

They have also proven themselves to be a dangerous side away from home, with only league leaders Managua (14) taking more points than Real Esteli (11) on the road.

Chinandega were infamously on the end of a 7-0 thrashing by Walter Ferretti at the end of last month and also lost their last meeting with Esteli 5-1 but have since stabilised somewhat defensively with successive clean sheets.

Esteli, meanwhile, have overtaken Diriangen as the best defensive outfit in the Clausura, having shipped only nine goals in their 15 league assignments, shutting out the likes of Juventus Managua, Municipal, Jalapa, Real Madriz and Las Sabanas in all competitions in the last month.

Those statistics point to a low-scoring affair and punters may want to consider backing a 2-0 scoreline, with Real Esteli’s seven away fixtures having featured on average only 1.86 goals per game this term.