Nacional vs Juventud

Round five of Uruguay's Torneo Clausura brings a fixture with real needle: Nacional host Juventud still early in the second half of the season, with both clubs looking to shake off inconsistent starts and climb away from a bunched-up table. Nacional opened the Clausura with a 2-0 loss to Racing Club de Montevideo before recovering with a 1-0 win over Progreso, Nicolás López their sharpest attacking presence. Juventud, also competing in the Copa Libertadores, have been streakier: draws with Deportivo Maldonado and Cerro Largo, a loss to Torque, then a 1-0 win over Central Español. Historically Nacional dominate this rivalry, winning most of their 30 meetings, but Juventud shocked them 3-1 last time out in March, Alejo Cruz, Gonzalo Gómez and Mateo Izaguirre all scoring, with only Maximiliano Gómez replying for a much-changed Nacional side. Our prediction: 2-1