Peñarol beats Montevideo City Torque, rides momentum into clásico against Nacional

Winning right before a clásico always carries extra weight. Peñarol knows it, and that's why the 1-0 win over Montevideo City Torque at Estadio Centenario, in the first phase of the 2026 Copa AUF Uruguay, meant more than just three points. Lucas Hernández, one of the squad's key figures, made that clear as soon as the match ended.

The left-footed defender didn't hide the group's satisfaction, though he made it clear that everyone's mind is already on the weekend. Sunday brings the clásico against Nacional in the Torneo Clausura, and for Peñarol, the result against Torque works as a confidence boost right before a match unlike any other on the calendar.

We're happy. Ahead of the great occasion coming up, it was important to win to stay positive day to day. The squad is very united, we were all in the locker room just now and that's very good considering everything that's coming.Lucas Hernández

Hernández also spoke about how the team handles the buildup to a clásico behind closed doors, a match with its own unique atmosphere that, as he acknowledged, requires a balance between tactical preparation and not overloading the squad with the topic all week long.

We handle it well, trying to talk about it without overloading things too much. We're motivated thinking about what's coming. A really nice atmosphere builds up during the week, it's a match you enjoy.Lucas Hernández

No favorites ahead of the clásico

Beyond the standings or each team's current form, Hernández was blunt when addressing the favorite tag that usually gets attached to Peñarol ahead of these matches. For the defender, that label changes nothing once the game kicks off.

Every clásico is different and there are no favorites. We'll try to keep doing what we've been doing to get a win and celebrate with our fans. Clásicos have to be played and they have to be won, there's no other way to look at it.Lucas Hernández

That statement sums up the logic of any River Plate area clásico pretty well: the numbers coming in matter little once the ball starts rolling. Peñarol and Nacional meet with history as the backdrop, but also with the urgency of the present, in a Clausura where every point counts.

Finally, Hernández highlighted the value of the break the squad had before returning to competition. As he explained, that pause did the team good, helping it recover the form it had shown early in the season, form that had faded as the games went by.

The break did us a lot of good, the team has gotten back the rhythm and solidity we had at the start of the year, we need to keep going down this path.Lucas Hernández

With that momentum, Peñarol heads into the clásico with the confidence of having picked up points in the Copa AUF Uruguay and with a squad that, in the words of its own leader, feels united ahead of one of the most important matches of the half year.