Peñarol and Nacional Weigh Final Defensive and Offensive Calls Ahead of Sunday's Clasico

The clasico is calling on all of Uruguay once again. This Sunday, August 30, Peñarol and Nacional face off at the Estadio Campeón del Siglo in matchday four of the 2026 Torneo Clausura of the Liga AUF Uruguaya, and on both sides there's a lingering question still without an answer.

Let's start with the home side. Diego Aguirre has most of his lineup settled, but he's facing a significant dilemma in defense: whether to go with Franco Romero or Mauricio Lemos in the back three. Lemos is working his way back from an injury, so how he comes through this week's training sessions will likely tip the scales. Aguirre himself made that clear after the match against Montevideo City Torque.

We have the team settled, except for one doubt.Diego Aguirre

With that question mark still hanging over the squad, Peñarol's likely starting eleven would have Washington Aguerre in goal, a back three made up of either Romero or Lemos alongside Lucas Ferreira and Maxi Olivera, and a five man midfield featuring Nicolás Fernández, Eduardo Darias, Javier Cabrera, Leonel Jaime and Thiago Espinoza. Up top, the attacking duo would be Matías Arezo and Abel Hernández, two heavyweight names for a match of this magnitude.

Nacional has its own questions too

On the other side, Daniel Carreño is preparing for the trip with a specific question mark up front: who partners Maximiliano Gómez at striker, Tiziano Correa or Maximiliano Silvera. The call likely won't come until close to kickoff, as often happens in matches like this where any tactical detail can shift the entire approach.

There are some interesting developments elsewhere in the tricolor lineup. Emiliano Ancheta looks set to start at right back, while Costa Rican Francisco Calvo would take the left back spot. The other surprise comes in midfield: Gastón Martirena is set to make his debut as a right sided midfielder, in a four man line that promises to be combative alongside Lucas Rodríguez, Bruno Zuculini and Luciano Boggio.

That would leave Nacional's probable lineup as Luis Mejía in goal; Ancheta, Sebastián Coates, Agustín Rogel and Calvo across the back; Martirena, Rodríguez, Zuculini and Boggio in midfield; and Gómez alongside either Correa or Silvera up front.

With Coates anchoring the back line and the Arezo-Hernández partnership as Peñarol's scoring threat, the clasico arrives with both teams still putting the finishing touches on their setups. And as is often the case in these matches, both coaches' final calls may not come until just minutes before kickoff at the Campeón del Siglo.