Nicaragua Primera Division Odds & Picks: Clausura Semifinals Leg 2
- Two deciding return games on Wednesday in Nicaragua Primera Division Clausura playoffs
- Real Esteli lead Diriangen by 1-0 while Managua and Walter Ferretti are level at 0-0
- See all odds and best bets for Nicaragua Primera Division Clausura playoff semifinals
League soccer is continuing in Nicaragua during the coronavirus crisis with the Primera Division Clausura competition now reaching the second leg of the playoff semifinal stage on Wednesday.
Real Esteli won 1-0 at Diriangen in Saturday’s opening clash and will take an advantage into the home leg against Diriangen at 4:00 pm EST at the Estadio Independencia.
Regular season table-toppers Managua will host Walter Ferretti at the Estadio Nacional at 4:00 pm EST after a 0-0 draw in the first leg on Sunday.
Fearful players in Nicaragua have confessed that they are limiting physical contact during matches, which are played behind closed doors.
Real Esteli vs Diriangen Second Leg Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Esteli | -½ (+127) | +131 | Un 2 (-116) |
| Diriangen | +½ (-169) | +239 | Ov 2 (-113) |
| Draw | N/A | +184 | N/A |
All odds taken Apr. 27
Real Esteli earned an automatic semifinal place after finishing second in the regular season. Third-placed Diriangen secured a 1-0 playoff quarterfinal victory against Juventus Managua.
The oddsmakers make Real Esteli favorites for a win at +131 with Diriangen at +239. A draw after 90 minutes is priced at +184.
Although the spread offer of +127 for Esteli to win by at least one goal looks promising, a straight win at +131 offers more value.
The semifinal first leg winner for Esteli against Diriangen was scored in the 75th minute by midfielder Oscar Acevedo nine minutes after teammate Richard Rodriguez had been sent off.
It was a tight match with Esteli managing just three shots on target and Diriangen failing even to muster one such threat.
Esteli are now in the driving seat with their first leg lead backed up by the fact that they lost just once at home in the regular season.
Diriangen also managed just one corner suggesting they struggled to make headway while Esteli had a tally of five corners.
Esteli are now in the driving seat with their first leg lead backed up by the fact that they lost just once at home in the regular 18-match Clausura season while securing five wins and three draws.
However, the first leg defeat was Diriangen’s first setback in six matches.
Tajikistan has suspended its football season. So that leaves Belarus, Nicaragua, Taiwan and Turkmenistan. South Korea starts in 12 days.
— Jerrad Peters (@jerradpeters) April 26, 2020
They finished the regular season on a four-match undefeated run.
Real Esteli also built a run of two wins and two draws in their final four league matches.
Diriangen had a reasonable away record in the regular season with three wins, four draws and two defeats making them the league’s third-most successful side on the road.
These sides also met in the playoff semifinal of this season’s Apertura competition last winter.
Nicaragua’s 2019/20 season is split into two separate competitions – the Apertura between August and December and the Clausura between January and May.
This is intruigingly poised, and then some. I'll let you call it.
Real Estelí beat Cacique Diriangén 1:0 away in the first semi, played in the early hours of yesterday morning.
??⚽️@SomosFerretti @Managua_FC #Clausura#Nicaragua#LigaPrimera https://t.co/hrgpP8kA5z
— Pat's Football Blog (@PatsFballBlog) April 27, 2020
There was a 0-0 draw in the opening semifinal game on Esteli’s home turf followed by a 1-1 draw after extra time at Diriangen. This meant Esteli advanced on the away goals rule before defeating Managua in the two-legged final.
A tight second leg now looks in store given the fact that there was a goalless draw when the sides collided at Esteli’s HQ on April 16.
A 2-0 win for Diriangen was the outcome in the prior fixture on March 15.
Pick: Real Esteli +131
Managua vs Walter Ferretti Second Leg Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managua | -1 (+112) | -163 | Un2 (-112) |
| Walter Ferretti | +1 (-149) | +523 | Ov2 (-117) |
| Draw | N/A | +234 | N/A |
In another tight contest in the second semifinal first leg, Walter Ferretti managed just five shots on target while Managua managed three such efforts.
It is Managua who now hold the statistical advantage as they return to their own HQ with the tie goalless.
The favorites for a win are Managua at -163 with Walter Ferretti a wide +523. The draw after 90 minutes is +234 which looks the best value given the two teams’ recent form and the stalemate in the first leg.
First-placed Managua were unbeaten at home during the regular season with eight wins and one draw.
Meanwhile, Walter Ferretti were average away from at home with three wins, two draws and two defeats.
Managua finished top of the regular season table to secure an automatic semifinal place while Walter Ferretti were fourth.
Managua began their league double over Ferretti when they secured a 1-0 win away from home on March 19.
In the playoff quarterfinal, Ferretti hammered Municipal Jalapa 5-1 after amassing four wins in the final five regular season games.
Walter Ferretti were the form team for much of the regular season before they were beaten 1-0 at Managua in the final round of fixtures.
/ INICIA EL PARTIDO /
CD Walter Ferretti vs Managua FC#nuestraliga pic.twitter.com/Z2U9esCz54— Liga Primera (@lgaprimera) April 27, 2020
Managua began their league double over Ferretti when they secured a 1-0 win away from home on March 19.
In the goalscoring statistics, Managua were the most prolific team at home after scoring 24 times and conceding just eight.
Another psychological boost for Managua is the fact that they eliminated Ferretti in the Apertura playoff semifinals earlier in the 2019/20 season.
After 2-2 draws in both legs of the tie, eventual champions Managua won a penalty shoot-out by 5-3.
Pick: Draw +234
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
