Tigre earned a convincing 3-0 victory over Nacional of Uruguay in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana playoffs, played in Montevideo.

The Uruguayan side tried to take control during the opening minutes, driven by its supporters and the need to secure a favorable result at home. However, the course of the match began to change when Tigre found space to attack at pace.

Nacional tried to establish itself in the opposition half but struggled to create clear chances against a well-organized Argentine defense.

Tigre waited for its opportunity and opened the scoring through Elías, who finished off a move that began to expose the Tricolor’s defensive problems.

The goal increased the visitors’ confidence and forced Nacional to push its lines even farther forward.

Before halftime, Ignacio Russo doubled the lead to make it 2-0, a scoreline that completely changed the atmosphere inside the stadium and left the Uruguayan side facing a difficult task in the second half.

After the break, Nacional tried to raise the intensity and pushed its lines forward in search of a goal.

The Uruguayan side enjoyed more possession during certain spells.

Every Nacional attack left open spaces at the back, while Tigre waited for another opportunity to put the match beyond reach.

As Nacional desperately searched for a goal that could restore hope, Cabrera appeared to score the decisive third.

The third goal confirmed the Argentine side’s superiority and finally silenced the home crowd.

With this result, Tigre will head into the second leg with a three-goal advantage and can still advance even with a two-goal defeat.

Nacional, meanwhile, will need an extraordinary comeback at the José Dellagiovanna Stadium to stay alive in the Copa Sudamericana.

The decisive match will be played in Victoria, where the Argentine side will look to confirm its place in the next round. Tigre currently leads the tie 3-0 on aggregate.

The winner of this tie will face Montevideo City Torque in the round of 16, meaning another all-Uruguayan matchup could take place if Nacional manages to turn the series around.