Atenas met Peñarol in the second group stage match of the Copa Uruguay on Tuesday evening. The hosts and visitors played out a 2-2 draw at the Estadio Parque Artigas. B. Barboza gave Peñarol an unexpected lead with his own goal in the twelfth minute. T. Rucci doubled the advantage from the penalty spot before half-time.
The visitors looked comfortable until the interval. L. Umpierrez pulled one back for Atenas early in the second period. F. Romero levelled the score in the sixty-second minute to set up a tense finish.
E. Remedi saw his penalty saved in the ninetieth minute, a chance that could have changed everything. And here's the thing — the momentum had already shifted before that miss. F. Vigo received a red card in the first minute of added time for a second booking, leaving Peñarol with ten men. The away side saw the game out with a man down despite the late drama. By then the result was effectively sealed.
Peñarol controlled possession at 67 per cent and registered 104 attacks compared with 71 for Atenas. The visitors also had nine corners to none for the hosts. Yet both sides managed just four shots on target each, with four shots off target between them.
The draw keeps both sides in contention for the group stage. Atenas will feel they should have taken more from a match where they equalised late. Peñarol's red card came too late to alter the outcome.
