Peñarol Montevideo
- Peñarol Montevideo will be riding high going into their 2026 Apertura fixture against Montevideo City Torque, after lifting the Supercopa Uruguaya on penalties against Nacional at the beginning of January.
- Diego Aguirre’s side showed their resolve and determination to win the Supercopa, but their quick, direct playing style has been the main reason behind their success throughout the 2025 season, when they finished top of the table with 32 points.
- The two-time Champions of Uruguay finished five points ahead of third-placed Torque (27 points) in the 2025 Clausura, indicating that the visitors will be among the contenders for this season’s Apertura, which starts on Saturday.
Montevideo City Torque
- Montevideo City Torque closed 2025 with a strong run of wins, but suffered an early cup exit in January, indicating that this is still a work in progress.
- Marcelo Méndez’s side are structured and methodical; they like to control the midfield, exploit wide areas and create opportunities from set pieces.
- Peñarol play with a compact backline and look to press for short bursts before transitioning with pace and directness, which should make for an interesting matchup.
- Gastón Silva and Maximiliano Olivera bring leadership and experience to the defensive line, which should be able to hold up well against Torque’s pressing.
- José Neris will be the danger man for the visitors, who notched a hat-trick late last season and finished as one of the club’s top scorers.
- Esteban Obregón and Walter Núñez will provide the spark, while January signings Juan Quintana and Salomón Rodríguez could provide an extra attacking boost.
Peñarol Montevideo
- While Matías Arezo will be the focus of their attacks, Peñarol have other weapons in Leonardo Fernández and Maximiliano Silvera, who finished among the club’s top scorers in 2025.
- Gastón Silva and Maximiliano Olivera bring leadership and experience to the defensive line, which should be able to hold up well against Torque’s pressing.
Montevideo City Torque
- José Neris will be the danger man for the visitors, who notched a hat-trick late last season and finished as one of the club’s top scorers.
- Esteban Obregón and Walter Núñez will provide the spark, while January signings Juan Quintana and Salomón Rodríguez could provide an extra attacking boost.
Betting Insights
- Peñarol are the clear favourites for this matchup with odds of 1.71, while Torque come into the game as 4.8 long shots.
- Our main selection is Under 2.5 goals, which is offered at 1.7 and reflects the tight, close matchups that have been the norm for this fixture in recent years.
Prediction
- Peñarol have a deeper squad than Torque, but the fact that the hosts are such clear favorites seems to ignore their visitors’ abilities.
- A Peñarol win will send a message out to the rest of the league that Peñarol mean business, while a positive result for Torque will demonstrate that they are ready to take the next step and their January reinforcements are working.
