Peñarol best Nacional 2-1 to claim Uruguayan title

Cristian “Cebolla” Rodriguez converted a penalty in the 96th minute to give Peñarol a 2-1 victory here over archrivals Nacional in the Clasico and clinch a second straight Uruguayan first division crown for his side.

While the teams ended the first half 0-0, Peñarol goalkeeper Kevin Dawson was tested by Nacional on the attack.

Matias Zunino broke the deadlock for Nacional just two minutes after the re-start, catching Dawson off-guard with a powerful strike from inside the area.

Spurred by conceding, Peñarol shifted to a desperate quest for the equalizer and it took a timely intervention by Nacional defender Alexis Rolin to stop what looked like a sure goal for Cebolla before Fabricio Formiliano leveled the score at 1-1 in the 71st minute.

Six minutes into added time, the referee awarded Peñarol a penalty and Cebolla made it count for the 2-1.

The Clasico is always a high-stakes affair, but with the league title on the line, tensions ran even higher than usual and both coaches were sent off before the final whistle.