Montevideo City Torque visits Atlético Mineiro this Wednesday at 19:00 for the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana semi‑final, hoping to keep making history toward the final.
If they advance, Marcelo Méndez’s squad would become Uruguay’s first ever finalist in the Sudamericana. This century only Peñarol reached a continental final, losing the 2011 Libertadores to Neymar’s Santos.
Unbeaten and led by the scorer
CONMEBOL highlighted the civic side’s stats, noting they remain unbeaten against Brazilian opponents in continental play with two wins and two draws. For my money, their unbeaten record makes them a serious contender.
Torque is the fourth club to play at least four matches against those sides without a loss, joining Águilas Doradas (2W 2D), Ferro Carril Oeste (3W 1D) and Independiente Rivadavia (1W 3D).
A bright sign for Méndez’s side is Salomón Rodríguez, the Copa Sudamericana 2026 top scorer with seven goals so far.
Only 13 players have ever topped the scoring chart in a single edition; the lone Uruguayan was Agustín Álvarez Martínez (10) for Peñarol in 2021.
Lead in the scoreline
City Torque also boasts the highest average minutes leading per game (46.5) since the 2026 group stage.
The sky‑blue team fell behind in just two of its 11 matches this campaign, both away: 62 minutes versus Riestra in the group and 74 minutes against Cienciano in the quarter‑finals.
Torque’s data show they often surrender possession when ahead, holding the ball only 43.1% of the time.
Set pieces are a weapon, accounting for seven of their 18 goals, while quick attacks produced four scores with no long‑range sequences.
They netted 18 goals with an xG of 9.5, the biggest gap of the tournament, and at home they are flawless in 2026: six matches, six wins. Historically they’ve never lost at home, recording seven wins and three draws in ten outings.