Achuapa achieved a vital victory this Sunday at the Manuel Ariza Stadium by beating Malacateco 1-0 on matchday 19 of the 2026 Clausura Tournament. in a match that had a goalless first half but that in the second half was defined by a left-footed shot by Carlos Santos in the 51st minute that completely changed the panorama for both teams in the fight for permanence.
The first half passed with few emotions in both goals. Malacateco started with advanced lines seeking to put pressure on the Cebolleros, while Achuapa tried to react and take the initiative. The match was closely contested in the midfield with neither team managing to generate real danger, with both defenses responding solidly until the break.
The second half brought a more determined Achuapa. In the 51st minute, Carlos Santos hit a left-footed shot that beat goalkeeper Miguel Jiménez to make it 1-0 and unleash local euphoria. The Cebolleros were motivated by the goal and continued looking to expand the score, with Carlos Mejía crashing a ball into the post in the 63rd minute and Dairon Suazo wasting a clear opportunity in the 74th minute, while Malacateco could not find answers to reverse the result.
A result that shakes the lower zone
With this victory, Achuapa rises to eleventh place in the Clausura with 18 points and adds three vital points that give it oxygen in its fight for permanence. Los Cebolleros reach the last three days with more confidence and with the certainty that they still have a chance to save the category if they continue adding.
Malacateco, for its part, suffers a direct blow to the accumulated table. The Toros, who already entered the match in the relegation zone after Guastatoya’s draw in Cobán, sink to last place with this defeat and remain in twelfth place in the Clausura with 16 points. Their situation is increasingly compromised with only three rounds left.
With this result, the fight to remain in the accumulated table is completely open in the final stretch of the tournament. Malacateco, Guastatoya and Achuapa remain very close in the danger zone, and any result in the next three days could radically change the panorama of a contest that promises tension until the final whistle.