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Liverpool were finally overhauled at the top of the Clausura table this week after leading on their own for much of the campaign as they drew at Danubio while closest challengers Defensor Sporting picked up their third consecutive win. Liverpool dropped to third as Nacional also went above them with a narrow win at El Tanque Sisley, while Bella Vista and Racing Club moved away from the relegation zone as they both picked up three points.

The weekend began with Danubio and Liverpool sharing a goalless draw, meaning that the door was open for Liverpool's challengers in the title race to supplant their rivals. After a perfect start with five wins in five, los negriazules have only picked up two wins from their last five games. Ignacio Pallas headed Fénix in front at River Plate, but the visitors could not hold onto their lead and succumbed in the second half to go down 2-1. Luis Torrecilla equalised in the 69th minute with a low strike from 25 yards, before two minutes from time Michael Santos scrambled the ball home from a few yards out to give River the win.

Peñarol beat Cerro 3-1 to record their first win in four games, with all the goals coming in the second half. Luis Aguiar opened the scoring from the penalty spot, but 15 minutes from time Guillermo De Los Santos equalised for the visitors from close range. Just when it seemed Peñarol would be dropping more points, two goals in the last 10 minutes gave them the win. Marcelo Silva scored with a tricky flick on 85 minutes to convert a well-worked free kick, and on 88 minutes the win was sealed with Maximiliano Pérez's third goal of the Clausura. Peñarol will move to within three points of the lead if they win rescheduled game against River Plate on Wednesday (23.15 GMT). Defensor and Peñarol also have another game in hand (both against Segunda División-bound Rentistas) over Liverpool and Nacional.

Bella Vista saw off Rampla Juniors 3-1 in a key clash between the 13th and 14th placed sides (14th, 15th and 16th are relegated at the end of the season). Javier Guarino exploited some awful defending to give Bella Vista the lead after just two minutes, but Paul Dzeruvs equalised on seven minutes with a header after some great work on the right hand side by Richard Nuñez. Rampla Juniors' defence was sliced open 10 minutes later though and Matías Abisab gave the hosts the lead again, and this time they held onto it before consolidating it on the hour when Ignacio Nicolini's shot was adjudged to have crossed the line.

Defensor Sporting had to come from behind to beat Wanderers, but a late winner sent them top of the table. Richard Mercado slid in to give Wanderers a 12th minute lead before Gastón Puerari equalised on the stroke of half time. Two minutes from the end, some highly questionable defending from the visitors allowed Nicolás Olivera all the time he needed to head past the keeper and give Defensor their seventh win of the Clausura. Rodrigo Pastorini was the hero for Racing Club as they won a crucial game against Rentistas in the relegation battle. Pastorini was on hand at the back post to give Racing the lead 27 minutes in, and three minutes later it was 2-0 when he curled a fine free kick into the top corner from 20 yards. Although Danilo Cócaro pulled one back just before half time, Racing reclaimed their two goal advantage moments later when Pastorini completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot. The win means Racing are now eight points clear of the relegation zone, while Rentistas can start to make plans for next season in the second tier as their relegation is already almost mathematically certain.

A Sebastián Sosa brace gave Cerro Largo a 2-0 win over Cerrito as the only Primera side not from Montevideo continue their unlikely push for a Copa Sudamericana place next year. Sosa rose high to head the provincial side in front on eight minutes, and the 18-year-old doubled the lead 10 minutes into the second half by converting a low cross at the back post. Finally, El Tanque Sisley nearly held out for a hard-earned 0-0 draw with Nacional but an own goal from Federico Velázquez two minutes from the end gave Nacional all three points. 19-year-old striker Gonzalo Vega also came off the bench for Nacional 10 minutes from time for his debut for Marcelo Gallardo's team.