1996 Copa Libertadores

1996 Copa Libertadores de América
Copa Libertadores de América 1996
Tournament details
Dates March 13 - June 26
Teams 21 (from 10 associations)
Final positions
Champions River Plate (2nd title)
Runners-up América de Cali
← 1995
1997 →

The 1996 edition of Copa Libertadores was the 37th in the tournament's history. Twenty-one teams participated in the competition. River Plate, of Argentina, won the tournament for their second time. The tournament began on March 13 and ended on June 26.

Contents

Group stage

Twenty teams were divided into five groups of four teams each for the Group Stage. The top three teams of each group, as well as Grêmio (who received a bye as winners of the previous year's edition of the tournament) qualified to the Round of 16.

Group 1

Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
Barcelona 13 6 4 1 1 11 8 +3
Cerro Porteño 10 6 3 1 2 8 7 +1
ESPOLI 6 6 2 0 4 7 10 -3
Olimpia 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 -1
March 13, 1996
Olimpia 1–2 Cerro Porteño Asunción
Barcelona 3–2 Espoli Guayaquil
March 19, 1996
Espoli 1–0 Olimpia Quito
March 22, 1996
Barcelona 2–1 Olimpia Guayaquil
March 26, 1996
Espoli 2–1 Cerro Porteño Quito
March 29, 1996
Barcelona 3–2 Cerro Porteño Guayaquil
April 3, 1996
Espoli 1–2 Barcelona Quito
Cerro Porteño 0–0 Olimpia Asunción
April 9, 1996
Cerro Porteño 2–1 Espoli Asunción
April 12, 1996
Olimpia 2–0 Espoli Asunción
April 16, 1996
Cerro Porteño 1–0 Barcelona Asunción
April 19, 1996
Olimpia 1–1 Barcelona Asunción

Group 2

Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
Peñarol 9 6 2 3 1 13 10 +3
Defensor Sporting 7 6 1 4 1 6 6 0
Sporting Cristal 7 6 1 4 1 6 7 -1
Universitario 7 6 2 1 3 7 9 -2
March 13, 1996
Sporting Cristal 0–2 Universitario Lima
March 18, 1996
Defensor Sporting 2–4 Peñarol Montevideo
March 23, 1996
Universitario 1–3 Peñarol Lima
March 26, 1996
Sporting Cristal 3–3 Peñarol Lima
March 30, 1996
Universitario 1–1 Defensor Sporting Lima
April 2, 1996
Sporting Cristal 0–0 Defensor Sporting Lima
April 7, 1996
Peñarol 1–1 Defensor Sporting Montevideo
Universitario 1–2 Sporting Cristal Lima
April 12, 1996
Defensor Sporting 2–0 Universitario Montevideo
April 13, 1996
Peñarol 1–1 Sporting Cristal Montevideo
April 16, 1996
Peñarol 1–2 Universitario Montevideo
April 17, 1996
Defensor Sporting 0–0 Sporting Cristal Montevideo

Group 3

Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
América de Cali 12 6 4 0 2 11 2 +9
Junior 10 6 3 1 2 8 6 +2
San José 9 6 3 0 3 6 8 -2
Guabirá 4 6 1 1 4 7 16 -9
March 13, 1996
Junior 1–0 América de Cali Barranquilla
San José 2–1 Guabirá Oruro
March 19, 1996
Guabirá 0–2 América de Cali Santa Cruz
March 22, 1996
San José 1–0 América de Cali Oruro
March 26, 1996
Junior 5–1 Guabirá Barranquilla
March 29, 1996
América de Cali 5–0 Guabirá Cali
April 3, 1996
América de Cali 2–0 Junior Cali
Guabirá 4–1 San José Santa Cruz
April 9, 1996
San José 2–0 Junior Oruro
April 12, 1996
Guabirá 1–1 Junior Santa Cruz
April 16, 1996
Junior 1–0 San José Barranquilla
April 19, 1996
América de Cali 2–0 San José Cali

Group 4

Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
Corinthians 13 6 4 1 1 13 6 +7
Universidad de Chile 10 6 3 1 2 7 7 0
Botafogo 7 6 2 1 3 10 10 0
Universidad Católica 4 6 1 1 4 6 13 -7
March 13, 1996
Corinthians 3–0 Botafogo São Paulo
Universidad de Chile 2–0 Universidad Católica Santiago
March 19, 1996
Universidad Católica 2–3 Corinthians Santiago
March 22, 1996
Universidad de Chile 1–0 Corinthians Santiago
March 26, 1996
Botafogo 4–1 Universidad Católica Rio de Janeiro
March 29, 1996
Corithians 3–1 Universidad Católica São Paulo
April 3, 1996
Botafogo 1–1 Corinthians Rio de Janeiro
Universidad Católica 0–0 Universidad de Chile Santiago
April 9, 1996
Universidad Católica 2–1 Botafogo Santiago
April 12, 1996
Universidad de Chile 2–1 Botafogo Santiago
April 16, 1996
Corinthians 3–1 Universidad de Chile São Paulo
April 19, 1996
Botafogo 3–1 Universidad de Chile Rio de Janeiro

Group 5

Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
River Plate 14 6 4 2 0 14 3 +11
San Lorenzo 10 6 2 4 0 13 5 +8
Minervén 5 6 1 2 3 8 16 -8
Caracas 2 6 0 2 4 6 17 -11
March 13, 1996
San Lorenzo 1–1 River Plate Buenos Aires
Minervén 4–2 Caracas FC Puerto Ordaz
March 18, 1996
Minervén 2–2 San Lorenzo Puerto Ordaz
March 21, 1996
Caracas FC 1–1 San Lorenzo Caracas
March 25, 1996
Minervén 1–2 River Plate Puerto Ordaz
March 28, 1996
Caracas FC 1–4 River Plate Caracas
April 3, 1996
River Plate 0–0 San Lorenzo Buenos Aires
Caracas FC 1–1 Minervén Caracas
April 9, 1996
San Lorenzo 4–0 Minervén Buenos Aires
April 11, 1996
River Plate 5–0 Minervén Buenos Aires
April 16, 1996
San Lorenzo 5–1 Caracas FC Buenos Aires
April 18, 1996
River Plate 2–0 Caracas FC Buenos Aires

Round of 16

First leg matches were played between April 30 and May 2. Second leg matches were played on May 8 and May 9.

Team 1   Agg.   Team 2   1st leg     2nd leg  
Universidad de Chile 4-4 (7-6 pk) Defensor Sporting 3-2 1-2
Botafogo 1-3 Grêmio 1-1 0-2
Cerro Porteño 0-1 Junior 0-0 0-1
Minervén 2-5 América de Cali 1-1 1-4
Sporting Cristal 4-6 River Plate 2-1 2-5
San José 2-2 (2-4 pk) Barcelona 1-0 1-2
ESPOLI 1-5 Corinthians 1-3 0-2
San Lorenzo 8-3 Peñarol 3-2 5-1

Quarter-Finals

First leg matches were played on May 15. Second leg matches were played on May 22 and May 24.

Team 1   Agg.   Team 2   1st leg     2nd leg  
San Lorenzo 2-3 River Plate 1-2 1-1
Corinthians 1-3 Grêmio 0-3 1-0
Junior 1-2 América de Cali 1-1 0-1
Universidad de Chile 3-1 Barcelona 2-0 1-1

Semi-Finals

Team 1   Agg.   Team 2   1st leg     2nd leg  
Universidad de Chile 2-3 River Plate 2-2 0-1
Grêmio 2-3 América de Cali 1-0 1-3

First leg

5 June 1996
 Universidad de Chile 2 – 2 River Plate Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago
Referee: José Luis da Rosa (Uruguay)
Valencia  23'
Salas  69'		 Francescoli  21'
Sorín  77'

Second leg

12 June 1996
 River Plate 1 – 0 Universidad de Chile Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti (Monumental de Nuñez), Buenos Aires
Referee: Alfredo Rodas (Ecuador)
Almeyda  33'

River Plate won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final

Main article: 1996 Copa Libertadores Finals
Team 1   Agg.   Team 2   1st leg     2nd leg  
América de Cali 1-2 River Plate 1-0 0-2

First leg

19 June 1996
 América de Cali 1 – 0 River Plate Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero, Santiago de Cali
Referee: Oscar Velásquez (Paraguay)
de Ávila  26'

Second leg

26 June 1996
 River Plate 2 – 0 América de Cali Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti (Monumental de Nuñez), Buenos Aires
Referee: Júlio Matto (Uruguay)
Crespo  6',  59'

River Plate won 2–1 on aggregate.

Champion

Copa Libertadores 1996:

River Plate
Second title

References

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Finals
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