1972 Copa Libertadores

1972 Copa Libertadores
1972 Copa Libertadores de América
1972 Copa Libertadores da América
Tournament details
DatesJanuary 30 – May 24
Teams20 (from 10 confederations)
Final positions
Champions Independiente (3rd title)
Runners-up Universitario
Tournament statistics
Matches played68
Goals scored175 (2.57 per match)
Top scorer(s) Oswaldo Ramírez (6)
Percy Rojas (6)
Teófilo Cubillas (6)
Toninho (6)
1971
1973

The 1972 Copa Libertadores was the 13th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's the annual club tournament. Independiente of Argentina defeated Universitario de Deportes of Peru in the finals, and became the second team in the tournament's history to win three titles, after fellow Argentine club Estudiantes. They would go on and face the winner of the 1971–72 European Cup in the Intercontinental Cup.

Format

The tournament was divided into three phases. The first phase had 19 teams divided into four round-robin groups of four and one group of three (defending champions Nacional received a bye to the second phase). Each group had clubs from two countries. The winners of each group advanced to the second phase. Five teams joined the defending champions in two round-robin groups of three. The winners of each group advanced to play in the finals. The winner of the finals, and tournament champions, are determined by points (two for a win, one for tie).

Qualified teams

Country Team Qualify method
 Argentina
2 berths
Independiente 1971 Metropolitan Championship winners
Rosario Central 1971 National Championship winners
 Bolivia
2 berths
Oriente Petrolero 1971 Copa Simón Bolívar winners
Chaco Petrolero 1971 Copa Simón Bolívar runners-up
 Brazil
2 berth
Atlético Mineiro 1971 Campeonato Brasileiro winners
São Paulo 1971 Campeonato Brasileiro runners-up
 Chile
2 berths
Unión San Felipe 1971 Primera División winners
Universidad de Chile 1971 Primera División runners-up
 Colombia
2 berths
Santa Fe 1971 Campeonato Profesional winners
Atlético Nacional 1971 Campeonato Profesional runners-up
 Ecuador
2 berths
Barcelona 1971 Ecuadorian league winners
América de Quito 1971 Ecuadorian league runners-up
 Paraguay
2 berths
Cerro Porteño 1971 Primera División winners
Olimpia 1971 Primera División runners-up
 Peru
2 berths
Universitario 1971 Torneo Descentralizado winners
Alianza Lima 1971 Torneo Descentralizado runners-up
 Uruguay
1+1 berth
Nacional 1971 Copa Libertadores champions
Peñarol 1971 Primera División runners-up
 Venezuela
2 berths
Valencia 1971 Venezuelan Primera División winners
Deportivo Italia 1971 Venezuelan Primera División runners-uo

Draw

The champions and runners-up of each football association were drawn into the same group along with another football association's participating teams. Two clubs from Uruguay competed as Nacional was champion of the 1971 Copa Libertadores. They entered the tournament in the Semifinals.

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5

Group Stage

Group 1

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation IND ROC SF NAC
1 Independiente 6 4 2 0 13 5 +8 10 Qualified to the Semifinals 2–0 2–0 2–0
2 Rosario Central 6 3 2 1 8 5 +3 8 2–2 2–0 3–1
3 Santa Fe 6 1 2 3 4 9 −5 4 2–4 0–0 1–1
4 Atlético Nacional 6 0 2 4 3 9 −6 2 1–1 0–1 0–1
Source:

Group 2

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation BAR AME ORI CHA
1 Barcelona 6 3 3 0 8 3 +5 9 Qualified to the Semifinals 2–1 1–1 3–0
2 América de Quito 6 3 1 2 9 7 +2 7 0–0 3–0 1–0
3 Oriente Petrolero 6 2 2 2 10 7 +3 6 0–0 4–2 5–0
4 Chaco Petrolero 6 1 0 5 3 13 −10 2 1–2 1–2 1–0
Source:

Group 3

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation SÃO CER OLI MIN
1 São Paulo 6 3 2 1 12 6 +6 8 Qualified to the Semifinals 4–0 3–1 0–0
2 Cerro Porteño 6 2 2 2 7 11 −4 6 3–2 1–3 1–0
3 Olimpia 6 2 2 2 7 8 −1 6 0–1 1–1 2–2[a]
4 Atlético Mineiro 6 0 4 2 5 6 −1 4 2–2 1–1 0–0
Source:
Notes:
  1. ^ The game was suspended at 2–2 because Atlético Mineiro was left with six players.

Group 4

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation UNI UCH ALI USF
1 Universitario 6 3 2 1 9 6 +3 8 Qualified to the Semifinals 2–1 2–1 3–1
2 Universidad de Chile 6 3 0 3 12 12 0 6 1–0 2–3 2–1
3 Alianza Lima 6 2 2 2 10 10 0 6 2–2 3–4 1–0
4 Unión San Felipe 6 1 2 3 5 8 −3 4 0–0 3–2 0–0
Source:

Group 5

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation PEÑ ITA VAL
1 Peñarol 4 4 0 0 12 3 +9 8 Qualified to the Semifinals 5–1 4–1
2 Deportivo Italia 4 1 1 2 4 7 −3 3 0–1 2–0
3 Valencia 4 0 1 3 3 9 −6 1 1–2 1–1
Source:

Semifinals

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation UNI NAC PEÑ
1 Universitario 4 1 2 1 9 7 +2 4 Qualified to the Final 3–0 2–3
2 Nacional 4 1 2 1 7 7 0 4 3–3 1–1
3 Peñarol 4 1 2 1 5 7 −2 4 1–1 0–3
Source:

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation IND SÃO BAR
1 Independiente 4 2 1 1 4 2 +2 5 Qualified to the Final 2–0 1–0[a]
2 São Paulo 4 1 2 1 2 3 −1 4 1–0 1–1
3 Barcelona 4 0 3 1 2 3 −1 3 1–1 0–0
Source:
Notes:
  1. ^ Barcelona abandoned the match at that score; results stood.

Finals

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Independiente 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 3
2 Universitario 2 0 1 1 1 2 −1 1
Source:
Universitario 0 – 0 Independiente
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Marques (Brazil)

Independiente 2 – 1 Universitario
Maglioni 6' 61' Rojas 79'
Attendance: 55,000
Referee: Favilli Neto (Brazil)

Champion

Copa Libertadores
1972 Champions

Independiente
Third title