Peñarol held scoreless by Deportivo Maldonado, already looking ahead to Nacional clash

A point that feels a little thin but, given how things played out, wasn't bad at all. Peñarol couldn't get past a 0-0 draw against Deportivo Maldonado at Estadio Domingo Burgueño Miguel, in a match for the Torneo Clausura, and the result left one clear impression: the home side deserved more.

Diego Aguirre, the black and yellow's head coach, admitted as much without hesitation, making no attempt to dress up what he'd seen on the field. The first half belonged entirely to Depor, who pressed well and gave Peñarol serious trouble building out of the back, unable to control the ball the way it usually does.

It was a really tough match, honestly Depor played very well, they deserved more. The first half was clearly in their favor, the second half evened out more, we couldn't find the goal we wanted, but given how the game went, a point is fine.Diego Aguirre

With his side uncomfortable and lacking clarity in the final third, Aguirre turned to his bench during the second half. He was looking to regain control of possession, a hallmark of his teams' identity, and while the adjustment didn't produce a goal, it did help even out the run of play.

We made a few changes, tried to be ourselves again, have more of the ball. We couldn't find our rhythm, we weren't creating chances, then we improved with the press, created a few, but it wasn't enough.Diego Aguirre

Some coaches cling to the result, others read the match exactly as it happened. Aguirre chose the latter, offering a line that sums up pretty well the philosophy of taking points when the performance doesn't back it up.

You always want to win, but if you don't earn the win, not losing matters.Diego Aguirre

Eyes on the derby

The draw doesn't knock Peñarol out of contention in the Clausura, but the schedule shows no mercy: up next is nothing less than the derby against Nacional, set for Sunday, August 30. A match that, as always, carries a weight unlike anything else on the calendar.

Aguirre is already thinking about that date and asked his team to quickly put what happened in Maldonado behind them and focus on what's coming. The tournament is just getting underway and there's still a long way to go, but the derby always brings a special energy that leaves no room for a drop in focus.

This is a long haul, there's still a lot left, and we need to get our heads into Sunday's match. Time to prepare, try to put in a good performance and try to win the derby, which is very important.Diego Aguirre

With the point in the bank and the self-criticism out in the open, Peñarol now faces a particular kind of week: one spent preparing for a derby with the need to show a version of itself closer to what Aguirre wants, the one that couldn't fully show up in Maldonado.