The match ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw between Peñarol and Nacional in the Clausura final held at the Estadio Campeón del Siglo.
Nacional opened the scoring early in the match when Juan Cruz De Los Santos found the back of the net with a strike in the 9th minute of the first half. The lead was extended to 2-0 just 36 minutes into the game with Gonzalo Carneiro’s well-placed shot. However, Peñarol responded quickly and found a way back into the match as Matías Arezo scored with a header just before halftime, making it 1-2 in the 49th minute.
In the second half, Leonardo Fernández leveled the game 2-2 with a brilliant effort in the 53rd minute, adding to the excitement of the encounter.
Both teams had chances to score the winning goal, with Nacional’s Nicolás López and Peñarol’s Leonardo Fernández coming close, hitting the woodwork with their efforts.
Despite the final score, Peñarol dominated the match in terms of attempts on goal, recording 10 shots on target, 1 hitting the post, and 6 missing the target.
Leonardo Fernández emerged as the standout player, netting a goal and attempting 8 shots in total.
On the other side, Luis Mejía, the Nacional goalkeeper, made some crucial saves, stopping 6 shots from Peñarol.
Peñarol’s coach, Diego Aguirre, set up his team in a 4-5-1 formation, featuring Brayan Cortés in goal; Pedro Milans, Javier Méndez, Nahuel Herrera, and Maximiliano Olivera in defense; a midfield of Eric Remedi, Ignacio Sosa, Maximiliano Silvera, Leonardo Fernández, and Diego García; and Matías Arezo as the lone striker.
Nacional’s coach, Jadson Viera Castro, opted for a similar 4-5-1 formation, with Luis Mejía between the posts; Emiliano Ancheta, Sebastián Coates, Julian Millan, and Diego Romero making up the defensive line; Christian Oliva, Lúcas Rodríguez, Luciano Boggio, Osinachi Ebere, and Juan Cruz De Los Santos in midfield; and Gonzalo Carneiro up front.
The match was officiated by referee Javier Burgos. The draw in the first leg of the series leaves the outcome hanging in the balance, with a decisive match scheduled for next Sunday, November 30, where the tournament champion will lift the trophy at the Gran Parque Central.
Peñarol Substitutions
4’ 1T – Nahuel Herrera was replaced by Emanuel Gularte
77’ 2T – Diego García was substituted for Lucas Hernández, Maximiliano Silvera for Leandro Umpierrez, and Ignacio Sosa for Jesús Trindade
89’ 2T – Pedro Milans was replaced by Jaime Báez
Yellow Cards for Peñarol:
22’ 1T – Javier Méndez (Unsporting behavior)
39’ 1T – Diego García (Insulting or disapproving of the referee)
14’ 2T – Matías Arezo (Unsporting behavior)
27’ 2T – Maximiliano Olivera (Insulting or disapproving of the referee)
Red Card for Peñarol:
29’ 2T – Javier Méndez (Red card for two yellow cards)
Nacional Substitutions
57’ 2T – Juan Cruz De Los Santos was replaced by Lucas Villalba
71’ 2T – Gonzalo Carneiro substituted for Maxi Gómez and Osinachi Ebere for Nicolás López
88’ 2T – Lúcas Rodríguez for Mauricio Pereyra and Luciano Boggio for Exequiel Mereles
Yellow Cards for Nacional:
35’ 1T – Gonzalo Carneiro (Unsporting behavior)
11’ 2T – Luciano Boggio (Arguing with an opponent)
14’ 2T – Sebastián Coates (Unsporting behavior)
17’ 2T – Lúcas Rodríguez (Unsporting behavior)
38’ 2T – Julian Millan (Unsporting behavior)
45’ 2T – Lucas Villalba (Unsporting behavior)