# 1972 Copa Libertadores

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

## 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 | |

### 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 | |

### 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 |
| 4 | Atlético Mineiro | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 4 | | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | |
* ↑ 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 | |

### 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 | |

## 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 | |

### 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 |
| 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 | |
* ↑ 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 |

## Champion

* Copa Libertadores 1972 Champions
* Independiente Third title