# 1997 Copa Libertadores

The 1997 edition of Copa Libertadores was won by Cruzeiro of Brazil, after defeating Sporting Cristal of Peru in the final. This was Cruzeiro's second title, their first being the 1976 edition. Cruzeiro's 1997 championship is the only time any club has won the Libertadores after losing the first 3 matches in the competition.

## Teams

| Association | Team (Berth) | Entry stage | Qualification method |
| Argentina 2+1 berths | River Plate (Argentina 1) | Round of 16 | 1996 Copa Libertadores champions |
| Argentina 2+1 berths | Vélez Sarsfield (Argentina 2) | Group stage | 1995 Apertura, 1996 Clausura champions |
| Argentina 2+1 berths | Racing (Argentina 3) | Group stage | 1995 Apertura runners-up |
| Bolivia 2 berths | Bolívar (Bolivia 1) | Group stage | 1996 Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano champions |
| Bolivia 2 berths | Oriente Petrolero (Bolivia 2) | Group stage | 1996 Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano runners-up |
| Brazil 2 berths | Grêmio (Brazil 1) | Group stage | 1996 Brasileirão Série A champions |
| Brazil 2 berths | Cruzeiro (Brazil 2) | Group stage | 1996 Copa do Brasil champions |
| Chile 2 berths | Colo-Colo (Chile 1) | Group stage | 1996 Primera División of Chile champions |
| Chile 2 berths | Universidad Católica (Chile 2) | Group stage | 1996 Liguilla para Copa Libertadores winners |
| Colombia 2 berths | Deportivo Cali (Colombia 1) | Group stage | 1995–96 Categoría Primera A champions |
| Colombia 2 berths | Millonarios (Colombia 2) | Group stage | 1995–96 Categoría Primera A runners-up |
| Ecuador 2 berths | El Nacional (Ecuador 1) | Group stage | 1996 Serie A de Ecuador champions |
| Ecuador 2 berths | Emelec (Ecuador 2) | Group stage | 1996 Serie A de Ecuador runners-up |
| Paraguay 2 berths | Cerro Porteño (Paraguay 1) | Group stage | 1996 Primera División champions |
| Paraguay 2 berths | Guaraní (Paraguay 2) | Group stage | 1996 Primera División runners-up |
| Peru 2 berths | Sporting Cristal (Peru 1) | Group stage | 1996 Torneo Descentralizado champions |
| Peru 2 berths | Alianza Lima (Peru 2) | Group stage | 1996 Liguilla para Copa Libertadores winners |
| Uruguay 2 berths | Nacional (Uruguay 1) | Group stage | 1996 Liguilla para Copa Libertadores winners |
| Uruguay 2 berths | Peñarol (Uruguay 2) | Group stage | 1996 Liguilla para Copa Libertadores play-off winners |
| Venezuela 2 berths | Minervén (Venezuela 1) | Group stage | 1995–96 Primera División champions |
| Venezuela 2 berths | Mineros de Guayana (Venezuela 2) | Group stage | 1995–96 Primera División runners-up |

## Group stage

River Plate bye to the second round as holders.

### Group 1

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Bolívar | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 10 | +5 | 10 |
| 2 | Oriente Petrolero | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 10 | −1 | 8 |
| 3 | Guaraní | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 8 |
| 4 | Cerro Porteño | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 7 |

### Group 2

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Vélez Sársfield | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 13 |
| 2 | El Nacional | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 9 |
| 3 | Racing | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 4 | Emelec | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 5 |

### Group 3

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Colo-Colo | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 16 |
| 2 | Universidad Católica | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 6 | +9 | 8 |
| 3 | Minervén | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 7 |
| 4 | Mineros de Guayana | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 2 |

### Group 4

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Grêmio | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 12 |
| 2 | Cruzeiro | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 9 |
| 3 | Sporting Cristal | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 8 |
| 4 | Alianza Lima | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 5 |

### Group 5

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Peñarol | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 12 |
| 2 | Millonarios | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 10 |
| 3 | Nacional | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 7 |
| 4 | Deportivo Cali | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 10 | −1 | 5 |

## Bracket

| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| River Plate | 3 | 1 | 4 (3) | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Racing | 3 | 1 | 4 (5) | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Racing | 3 | 1 | 4 (5) | Racing | 0 | 1 | 1 (3) | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Peñarol | 1 | 0 | 1 (2) | | | | | | | | | |
| Peñarol | 0 | 3 | 3 (3) | Peñarol | 1 | 0 | 1 (2) | | | | | | | | | |
| Millonarios | 2 | 1 | 3 (2) | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Millonarios | 2 | 1 | 3 (2) | | | | | Racing | 3 | 1 | 4 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Sporting Cristal | 2 | 4 | 6 | | | | | |
| Vélez Sarsfield | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | Sporting Cristal | 2 | 4 | 6 | | | | | |
| Sporting Cristal | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Sporting Cristal | 0 | 1 | 1 | Sporting Cristal | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Bolívar | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Bolívar | 1 | 7 | 8 | Bolívar | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Minervén | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Minervén | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | Sporting Cristal | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Cruzeiro | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cruzeiro | 0 | 2 | 2 (5) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Cruzeiro | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| El Nacional | 1 | 1 | 2 (3) | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| El Nacional | 1 | 1 | 2 (3) | Cruzeiro | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Grêmio | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Grêmio | 1 | 2 | 3 (2) | Grêmio | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Guaraní | 2 | 1 | 3 (1) | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Guaraní | 2 | 1 | 3 (1) | | | | | Cruzeiro | 1 | 2 | 3 (4) | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Colo-Colo | 0 | 3 | 3 (1) | | | | | |
| Colo-Colo | 3 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | Colo-Colo | 0 | 3 | 3 (1) | | | | | |
| Nacional | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nacional | 1 | 2 | 3 | Colo-Colo | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | U. Católica | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| Oriente Petrolero | 0 | 1 | 1 | U. Católica | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| U. Católica | 4 | 5 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Round of 16

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Racing | 4-4 (5-3p) | River Plate | 3-3 | 1-1 |
| Sporting Cristal | 1-0 | Vélez Sársfield | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| Guaraní | 3-3 (1-2p) | Grêmio | 2-1 | 1-2 |
| Minervén | 1-8 | Bolívar | 1-1 | 0-7 |
| Millonarios | 3-3 (2-3p) | Peñarol | 2-0 | 1-3 |
| Universidad Católica | 9-1 | Oriente Petrolero | 4-0 | 5-1 |
| Nacional | 3-4 | Colo-Colo | 1-3 | 2-1 |
| El Nacional | 2-2 (3-5p) | Cruzeiro | 1-0 | 1-2 |

## Quarter-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Bolívar | 2-4 | Sporting Cristal | 2-1 | 0-3 |
| Universidad Católica | 3-4 | Colo-Colo | 2-1 | 1-3 |
| Cruzeiro | 3-2 | Grêmio | 2-0 | 1-2 |
| Peñarol | 1-1 (2-3p) | Racing | 1-0 | 0-1 |

## Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Cruzeiro | 3-3 (4-1p) | Colo-Colo | 1-0 | 2-3 |
| Racing | 4-6 | Sporting Cristal | 3-2 | 1-4 |

## Finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Sporting Cristal | 0-1 | Cruzeiro | 0-0 | 0-1 |

## Champion

* Copa Libertadores 1997
* Cruzeiro Second title

## Top goalscorers

11 goals
* Alberto Acosta
9 goals
* Antonio Vidal González
8 goals
* Ivo Basay

## Broadcasting rights
### Americas

* Latin America: Sportsnet, TSN, TVC Sports, Cable Mágico Deportes and Best Cable Sports
* Caribbean: Flow Sports
* Peru: Global Televisión