Uruguay's national team players enjoyed a productive week with their clubs across Europe and Mexico, delivering key performances in wins and draws.
Araújo, the Liverpool defender, opened his account in European competition. On Wednesday 14 October, the Uruguayan scored a goal in his team's emphatic 3-6 away win against LASK Linz in Austria. Araújo started the match and was substituted in the 62nd minute. Three days later, on Saturday 17, he was again in the starting lineup for Liverpool's 1-2 Premier League victory at Brentford, coming off at half-time.
Valverde instrumental for Madrid
Meanwhile, Federico Valverde also made his mark with Real Madrid. The midfielder played the full 90 minutes on Wednesday 14 in Madrid's 3-4 Champions League win at AS Roma. On Sunday 18, Valverde was a key piece in the 4-1 LaLiga triumph over Sevilla, being replaced in the 85th minute after a strong performance.
Other Uruguay internationals also logged minutes. José Giménez played the full match for Deportivo La Coruña in their 1-1 draw with Levante on Friday 16. In Mexico, Federico Viñas started and played the entire game for Toluca in their 1-1 draw with Atlético San Luis on Saturday 17. Sebastián Cáceres, the Celta Vigo defender, received a yellow card and was substituted in the 77th minute during his team's 2-1 win over Alavés on Sunday 18.
These club performances come at a positive time for La Celeste, who are on a two-game winning run in recent friendlies. In that match, Maximiliano Araújo scored twice, in the 28th and 59th minutes. Prior to that, on 28 September, they beat South Korea 4-1, with Darwin Núñez scoring a brace. This run of two wins and one loss in their last three matches, with a recent form of two wins and zero draws, reinforces the good state of the group ahead of upcoming fixtures. The Uruguayan contingent is proving to have players in fine form across the world's top leagues.
