Marathón Faces Real España in Crucial Match Amidst Coach’s Struggles

San Pedro Sula, Honduras — Marathón will take on Real España in the 251st edition of the Clásico sampedrano this Wednesday at the Estadio Olímpico. The match is critical for both teams as they navigate the Apertura 2025 season.

Coach Pablo Lavallén‘s Marathón, currently second in the league with 23 points, seeks to reduce the gap with the top team, Olimpia, which holds 27 points. Olimpia will face Motagua on Thursday. Meanwhile, Real España, positioned fifth with 18 points, aims to climb the standings after gaining momentum before the international break.

Marathón recently secured a decisive 3-1 victory against Juticalpa, thanks to a hat-trick from Nicolás Messinitti, who scored at minutes 18, 33, and 45. Juticalpa’s Josué Villafranca scored for the hosts in the 67th minute. Messinitti leads the league with 11 goals.

Real España also performed well in their last match, winning 2-1 against Excelsior. Goals from Yeison Moreno in the 48th minute and Wesley Decas in the 70th led to their success, while Ofir Padilla scored for the home team just 13 minutes into the game.

In their last encounter in the Apertura, Real España defeated Marathón 1-0 at the Estadio Morazán. The only goal came from Jack Jean Baptiste in the 44th minute. Lavallén’s side will be eager to avenge this loss.

Meanwhile, in another match, Platense FC will look to end a decade-long winless streak against CD Victoria at the Estadio Excelsior on Wednesday. Platense, desperate for points, lost their last match 2-1 against Real España and drew 2-2 with Olancho FC before the break.

Platense has not won against Victoria at the Excelsior for ten years, with their last victory coming on February 14, 2015. Back then, they won 1-0, scoring with a goal from Julio César ‘Rambo’ de León. Since then, Platense has struggled, recording one draw and three losses against Victoria.