In the fourth round of Group B in the Intermedio, Nacional faced Racing (U) at the Parque Alfredo Víctor Viera stadium, concluding with a 2-1 score in favor of the visiting team. Nacional managed to establish a strong lead of 2-0 with two well-crafted goals. Gabriel Báez found the net in the 63rd minute, while Nicolás López doubled the score with a goal at the 37th minute of the same half. Despite Racing’s relentless attempts to alter the course of the game, they could only reduce the deficit with a set-piece goal scored by Mateo Cáceres in the 86th minute.
Nacional almost extended their lead further with two shots from Luciano Boggio that struck the woodwork.
Nicolás López was undoubtedly the standout player of the match. The Nacional forward delivered an impressive performance by scoring one goal and attempting five shots on target.
On the defensive end, Gabriel Báez played a crucial role, contributing significantly to Nacional’s success by scoring a goal.
Racing’s coach, Cristian Chambain, deployed a 3-4-3 formation with Lautaro Amadé in goal, supported by Guillermo Cotugno, Gastón Bueno, and Martín Ferreira in defense. Agustin Pereira, Alex Vazquez, Mateo Cáceres, and Thiago Espinosa made up the midfield, while Esteban Da Silva, Bautista Tomatis, and Santiago Ramírez led the attack.
Nacional, managed by Pablo Peirano, set up in a 4-4-2 formation, featuring Ignacio Suárez as their goalkeeper, with Lucas Morales, Sebastián Coates, Julian Millan, and Nicolás Rodríguez in defense. The midfield consisted of Rómulo Otero, Christian Oliva, Luciano Boggio, and Exequiel Mereles, while Nicolás López and Gonzalo Petit were the two forwards.
The referee overseeing the match at Parque Alfredo Víctor Viera was Andrés Matonte.
Looking ahead to the next round, Racing (U) will be on the road to face Danubio, while Nacional will host Juventud.
Substitutions for Racing (U)
45’ 2T – Santiago Ramírez off for Felipe Cairus, Bautista Tomatis off for Hugo Silveira, Exequiel Mereles off for Lucas Villalba
67’ 2T – Esteban Da Silva off for Maximiliano Pinela
89’ 2T – Thiago Espinosa off for Yuri Oyarzo
Cautions for Racing (U):
12’ 1T – Agustin Pereira (Unsporting behavior) and 27’ 1T – Alex Vazquez (Unsporting behavior)
Red Cards for Racing (U):
43’ 1T – Alex Vazquez (Red for second yellow), 9’ 2T – Agustin Pereira (Red for second yellow), and 20’ 2T – Gastón Bueno (Direct red)
Substitutions for Nacional
57’ 2T – Nicolás Rodríguez off for Gabriel Báez, Luciano Boggio off for Mauricio Pereyra
71’ 2T – Gonzalo Petit off for Diego Herazo
80’ 2T – Rómulo Otero off for Jeremía Recoba
Cautions for Nacional:
16’ 2T – Mauricio Pereyra (Unsporting behavior) and 40’ 2T – Sebastián Coates (Unsporting behavior)