# 1968 Copa Libertadores

The 1968 Copa Libertadores was the ninth edition of the Copa Libertadores, South America's premier association football competition. It was played between January 27 and May 16. A record 21 teams participated in this edition.
This edition brought the explosive debut of a humble team from the city of La Plata, capital of the Buenos Aires province, that did not find itself in the plateau of Argentine football. Estudiantes de La Plata, an authentic stranger in the highest levels of South American football, surpassed all expectations as they eliminated defending champions Racing and Independiente (two denominated "great" ones in Argentina as well as each having already won the tournament before).
With a talented prospect by the name of Juan Ramón Verón, the pincharatas beat Palmeiras 2–0 in a playoff after the final series finished 2–2 on points. Estudiantes conquered the title with an original style which emphasized athleticism and strategic preparation.

## Qualified teams

| Country | Team | Qualification method |
| CONMEBOL 1 berth | Racing | 1967 Copa Libertadores de América winners |
| Argentina 2 berths | Independiente | 1967 Primera División champion |
| Argentina 2 berths | Estudiantes (LP) | 1967 Primera División runner-up |
| Bolivia 2 berths | Jorge Wilstermann | 1967 Torneo Nacional champion |
| Bolivia 2 berths | Always Ready | 1967 Torneo Nacional runner-up |
| Brazil 2 berths | Palmeiras | 1967 Taça Brasil champion |
| Brazil 2 berths | Náutico | 1967 Taça Brasil runner-up |
| Chile 2 berths | Universidad de Chile | 1967 Primera División champion |
| Chile 2 berths | Universidad Católica | 1967 Primera División runner-up |
| Colombia 2 berths | Deportivo Cali | 1967 Campeonato Profesional champion |
| Colombia 2 berths | Millonarios | 1967 Campeonato Profesional runner-up |
| Ecuador 2 berths | El Nacional | 1967 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie A champion |
| Ecuador 2 berths | Emelec | 1967 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie A runner-up |
| Paraguay 2 berths | Guaraní | 1967 Primera División champion |
| Paraguay 2 berths | Libertad | 1967 Primera División runner-up |
| Peru 2 berths | Universitario | 1967 Torneo Descentralizado champion |
| Peru 2 berths | Sporting Cristal | 1967 Torneo Descentralizado runner-up |
| Uruguay 2 berths | Peñarol | 1967 Primera División champion |
| Uruguay 2 berths | Nacional | 1967 Primera División runner-up |
| Venezuela 2 berths | Deportivo Portugués | 1967 Primera División Venezolana champion |
| Venezuela 2 berths | Deportivo Galicia | 1967 Primera División Venezolana runner-up |

## Draw

The champions and runners-up of each football association were drawn into the same group along with another football association's participating teams. Three clubs from Argentina competed as Racing was champion of the 1967 Copa Libertadores. They entered the tournament in the semifinals.
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 |
| Argentina  Colombia | Bolivia  Peru | Chile  Ecuador | Paraguay  Uruguay | Brazil  Venezuela |

## Tie-breaking criteria

At each stage of the tournament teams receive 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and no points for a loss. If two or more teams were equal on points, the following criteria was to be applied to determine the ranking in the group stage:
* a one-game playoff;
* superior goal difference;
* draw of lots.

## First round

Twenty teams were drawn into five groups of four. In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away. The top two teams in each group advanced to the Second round. Racing, the title holders, had a bye to the semifinals.
Key to colors in group tables :
* Group winners and runners-up advanced to the Second round

### Group 1

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | EST | IND | CAL | MIL |
| 1 | Estudiantes (LP) | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 11 | Qualified to the Second Round | | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 |
| 2 | Independiente | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 5 | | 2–4 | | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| 3 | Deportivo Cali | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 5 | | 1–2 | 1–0 | | 1–0 |
| 4 | Millonarios | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 3 | | 0–1 | 1–2 | 4–2 | |

### Group 2

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | UNI | CRI | WIL | ALW |
| 1 | Universitario | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 4 | +13 | 9 | Qualified to the Second Round | | 1–1 | 5–1 | 6–0 |
| 2 | Sporting Cristal | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 9 | | 2–2 | | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| 3 | Jorge Wilstermann | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 5 | | 0–0 | 0–1 | | 3–0 |
| 4 | Always Ready | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 18 | −16 | 1 | | 0–3 | 1–4 | 0–1 | |

### Group 3

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | CAT | EME | NAC | UCH |
| 1 | Universidad Católica | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 9 | Qualified to the Second Round | | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 |
| 2 | Emelec | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 7 | | 1–2 | | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| 3 | El Nacional | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 5 | | 2–1 | 0–1 | | 3–1 |
| 4 | Universidad de Chile | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 3 | | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | |

### Group 4

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PEÑ | GUA | NAC | LIB |
| 1 | Peñarol | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 8 | Qualified to the Second Round | | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 |
| 2 | Guaraní | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 7 | | 1–1 | | 2–1 | 2–0 |
| 3 | Nacional | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 6 | | 0–0 | 2–2 | | 4–0 |
| 4 | Libertad | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 3 | | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | |

### Group 5

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PAL | POR | NAU | GAL |
| 1 | Palmeiras | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 11 | Qualified to the Second Round | | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 |
| 2 | Deportivo Portugués | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 5 | | 1–2 | | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| 3 | Náutico | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 4 | | 1–3 | 3–2 | | 1–0 |
| 4 | Deportivo Galicia | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 4 | | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | |

## Second round

Ten teams were drawn into three groups, two groups of three and one group of four. In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away. The top team in each group advanced to the Semifinals, along with Racing.

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | EST | IND | UNI |
| 1 | Estudiantes | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | Qualified to the Semifinals | | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| 2 | Independiente | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 4 | | 1–2 | | 3–0 |
| 3 | Universitario | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 2 | | 1–0 | 0–3 | |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PEÑ | CRI | EME | POR |
| 1 | Peñarol | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | +9 | 10 | Qualified to the Semifinals | | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 |
| 2 | Sporting Cristal | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 8 | | 0–0 | | 1–1 | 2–0 |
| 3 | Emelec | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 | | 0–1 | 0–2 | | 2–0 |
| 4 | Deportivo Portugués | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 12 | −9 | 3 | | 0–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | |

### Group C

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PAL | GUA | CAT |
| 1 | Palmeiras | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 6 | Qualified to the Semifinals | | 2–1 | 4–1 |
| 2 | Guaraní | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 | | 2–0 | | 3–1 |
| 3 | Universidad Católica | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 2 | | 0–1 | 4–1 | |

## Semifinals

Four teams were drawn into two groups. In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away. The top team in each group advanced to the Finals.

### Semifinal 1

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | EST | RAC |
| 1 | Estudiantes (LP) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 | Qualified to the Finals | | 3–0 |
| 2 | Racing | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 | | 2–0 | |
Estudiantes progressed to the finals due to better goal difference.

### Semifinal 2

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PAL | PEÑ |
| 1 | Palmeiras | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 | Qualified to the Finals | | 1–0 |
| 2 | Peñarol | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 | | 1–2 | |

## Finals

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | EST | PAL |
| 1 | Estudiantes (LP) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 4 | Champions | | 2–1 |
| 2 | Palmeiras | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 2 | | 3–1 | |

## Champion

* Copa Libertadores de América 1968 Winners
* Estudiantes (LP) First Title

## Top goalscorers

| Pos | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Tupãzinho | Palmeiras | 11 |
| 2 | Alberto Spencer | Peñarol | 10 |
| 3 | Juan Ramón Verón | Estudiantes | 9 |
| 4 | Luis Artime | Independiente | 6 |
| 5 | Felipe Ribaudo | Estudiantes | 6 |
| 6 | Víctor Domingo Juárez | Guaraní | 6 |
| 6 | D. Flores | Universitario | 6 |
| 6 | Juan Carlos Sarnari | Universidad Católica | 6 |
| 9 | Servílio | Palmeiras | 5 |
| 9 | Alberto Gallardo | Sporting Cristal | 5 |

## Footnotes

    A. ^ The match finished 1-1, but Jorge Wilstermann were declared 0-1 winners after Troncoso's own goal was declared invalid.
    B. ^ The match finished 3-2, but the 2 points were awarded to Deportivo Portugués as Náutico made two substitutions.