Tigre vs Club Nacional

Carrying a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg in Montevideo (Infobae, 21 July 2026), Tigre appeared in control of the tie. But Nacional had other ideas.

Maximiliano Gómez struck in the 11th minute, capitalising on a misplaced pass from Gonzalo Martínez before firing low past Felipe Zenobio (beIN SPORTS, 29 July 2026). The Uruguayan side doubled their lead before half-hour when Maximiliano Silvera bundled home a low cross from Tomás Verón in the 31st minute. After a VAR review, the goal stood — 2-0 on the night, 3-2 on aggregate.

Nacional needed just one more goal to force extra time. They pushed hard but Tigre regrouped at half-time.

Tigre thought they had equalised through Santiago López in the 65th minute, but VAR intervened — the goal was disallowed for offside (provider payload). The reprieve jolted the hosts into action. López, undeterred, made his next chance count.

In the 82nd minute, Nahuel Banegas played a perfectly weighted pass into López's path. The forward finished calmly to score his first goal for Tigre and restore the aggregate cushion to three goals (beIN SPORTS, 29 July 2026). Nacional needed three goals in the final eight minutes; they could not find one.

Santiago López (Tigre) — Player of the Match. Had a goal disallowed by VAR in the 65th minute but showed composure to score the decisive equaliser in the 82nd, his first goal for the club. His movement and persistence kept Nacional's defence honest throughout.

Maximiliano Gómez (Nacional). Scored the early opener that reignited the tie and led Nacional's attack with intelligent movement. His 11th-minute strike was his side's first real statement of intent.

Nahuel Banegas (Tigre). Provided the assist for López's crucial goal from left-back and was solid defensively as Nacional pressed for a third.

Nacional's two first-half goals (11', 31') reflected their aggressive start — they had to score early to have any chance. Tigre's 1.96 xG in the first leg (per provider data) contrasted sharply with a more subdued attacking output in the second leg, but the aggregate tells the story: 4-2 across 180 minutes. Seven yellow cards (four for Tigre, three for Nacional) underline the tension of a tie that swung between control and chaos.

Tigre advance to the Sudamericana Round of 16, where they will face Montevideo City Torque — the Uruguayan side that topped Group F ahead of Grêmio, Deportivo Riestra and Palestino (beIN SPORTS, 28 July 2026). For Nacional, who dropped into the Sudamericana after finishing third in their Copa Libertadores group, the defeat ends their continental campaign. Their full focus now turns to the Uruguayan Torneo Intermedio, where they sit third in Group B (Infobae, 21 July 2026).

Nacional nearly pulled off an extraordinary comeback, but Tigre's first-leg cushion proved decisive. The Argentines rode their luck — a VAR disallowed goal, a nervy second half — but Santiago López's cool finish under pressure was the hallmark of a side that knows how to manage a tie. Montevideo City Torque will present a different challenge in the last 16.