Héctor Cúper Prepares First XI for Nacional Vs Universitario
Héctor Cúper is set to make his official debut on the Universitario bench in nacional vs universitario on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, when the Peruvian club visits Nacional at Estadio Gran Parque Central in Montevideo. The Group B match kicks off at 17:00 in Peru and 22:00 GMT, with both sides level on four points and the standings tight enough to make every detail count.
Gran Parque Central and Cúper
The Argentine coach will take charge for the first time in an official match for Universitario, and the projected lineup points to Miguel Vargas in goal. In front of him, the expected defensive line includes Caín Fara, Anderson Santamaría and Matías Di Benedetto, with Andy Polo, Martín Pérez Guedes, Jorge Murrugarra, Jairo Concha and José Carabalí listed in midfield and Lisandro Alzugaray plus Alex Valera as the forward pair.
That selection gives Universitario a clear shape for a fifth-round away game that arrives with work to do after a 1-2 loss to Coquimbo Unido in the previous round at Estadio Municipal Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso. Guido Vadalá scored both goals for Coquimbo Unido in that match, and Universitario now carries a -1 goal difference into Montevideo.
Nacional Need Three Points
Nacional, coached by Jorge Bava, also enters with four points but a -3 goal difference. The Uruguayan side needs three points to avoid elimination from the tournament, while Universitario holds a slight edge in the table and can use the result to protect that advantage.
The projected Nacional side includes Luis Mejía, Agustín Rogel, Sebastián Coates, Camilo Cándido, Emiliano Ancheta, Luciano Boggio, Alexander Dos Santos, Nicolás Lodeiro, Baltasar Barcía, Maximiliano Gómez and Gonzalo Carneiro, with another projected version also naming Tomás Viera, Lucas Rodríguez, Juan Cruz de los Santos and Maximiliano Silvera. and Disney+ Premium are listed for broadcast.
Universitario's Table Margin
For Universitario, the game is less about settling in and more about leaving Montevideo with its Group B position intact. The club sits third in the group on four points, and the -1 differential gives it a small buffer over Nacional heading into a fixture that can shift the entire group picture in one night.
Fans watching the lineup will learn early how Cúper wants Universitario to manage a road game with pressure on both ends: stay organized, keep the goal difference from slipping, and avoid giving Nacional the result it needs to stay alive.
