Cerro Porteño and Nacional Face Off in Simultaneous Matches for Apertura Runner-Up Spot

On the penultimate matchday of the 2026 Apertura tournament, Cerro Porteño and Nacional play at the same time, both vying for second place. Cerro hosts Sportivo Trinidense while Nacional visits Rubio Ñu. Olimpia, already crowned champion, won a dramatic late match against Recoleta.

Cerro Porteño e Nacional jogam simultaneamente pelo vice-campeonato no Apertura 2026
Cerro Porteño e Nacional jogam simultaneamente pelo vice-campeonato no Apertura 2026

On Thursday, May 14, a national holiday in Paraguay, the penultimate round of the 2026 Torneo Apertura kicked off. The day’s action features two simultaneous matches with major implications for the runner-up position.

Cerro Porteño faces Sportivo Trinidense at La Nueva Olla stadium in Barrio Obrero, while Nacional travels to take on Rubio Ñu. Both matches start at 17:00 local time. The Cyclone and the Academia are separated by just a few points in the standings, making this a decisive evening for the vice-championship.

Earlier in the week, already-crowned champion Olimpia secured a dramatic late victory against Recoleta. The win came ahead of the Decano’s important Copa Sudamericana fixture, providing a morale boost for the squad.

On the same Thursday, Libertad hosted Sportivo 2 de Mayo at La Huerta de Tuyucuá, also at 17:00, in another match of the 20th round.

The previous round’s match between Cerro Porteño and Guaraní ended in a goalless draw at La Nueva Olla, with the clearest scoring chance failing to break the deadlock.