19 October 1974 - Independiente Takes Five

On 19 October 1974, Independiente won their third straight Copa Libertadores--and fifth overall--beating São Paulo in a playoff, 1-0.

Going into the final, Independiente were already the tournament's most successful team, winning it in 1964, 1965, 1972, and 1973, while São Paulo were in the final for the first time. But they split the two legs, with São Paulo winning 2-1 in Brazil and Independiente taking the honors in Argentina, 2-0. Level on points, they met at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago for a playoff.

There, 60,000 people looked on as Independiente left back Ricardo Pavoni scored in the 37th minute. It was the only goal of the match, giving Independiente the win, their fifth title in five final appearances for the Argentinians.

They continued their perfect record in the final, winning it again in 1975 and 1984. São Paulo, meanwhile, reached the final five more times, lifting the cup in 1992, 1993, and 2005.

12 August 1964 - A Small Degree Of Separation Is Enough

On 12 August 1964, Independiente won the first of their record seven Copa Libertadores titles, beating Nacional on points.

It was the fifth edition of the tournament and the first appearance in the final for both teams. They each won their first-round group with identical records of three wins and a draw to advance to the semifinals. There, Independiente topped two-time defending champions Santos by winning both legs, while Nacional did the same to Colo-Colo.

The final was played over two legs, home and away, with the champion determined by points. The teams met at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo for the first leg on 6 August, where they split the points by playing to a scoreless draw, then reconvened six days later at the Estadio de Independiente for the second leg.

The second leg was another close affair, with the teams separated only by a 35th-minute goal from Independiente's Mario Rodríguez, but it was enough for the hosts to claim the trophy.

Independiente repeated as champion in 1965, then proceeded to win it again in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1984. Nacional finally won it in 1971, then again in 1980 and 1988.

15 April 1965 - The Pattern Holds For Independiente

On 15 April 1965, Independiente won their second consecutive Copa Libertadores, beating Peñarol in a playoff.

Established five years earlier as the Copa Campeones de América, the tournament had already fallen into a pattern, with Peñarol winning the first two (1960 and 1961) and Santos winning the next two (1962 and 1963). Independiente won the 1964 edition, priming them to follow the pattern and repeat as champions in 1965.

The final was scheduled for two legs, home and away. On 9 April, Independiente won the first leg in Argentina 1-0 with an 83rd-minute goal from midfielder Raúl Bernao. But Peñarol dominated the second leg in Uruguay on 12 April, going up 3-0 in the first 46 minutes en route to a 3-1 victory. Under the rules at the time, the winner was determined on points, not goal differential, so the split results meant that a playoff was required.

For the playoff, the teams met at the neutral Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile. There, Independiente surged to a 3-0 lead of their own with goals from Carlos Pérez (10'), Bernao (27'), and Roque Avallay (33'). Peñarol winger Juan Joya pulled one back one minute before the break, but the match finished as a 4-1 win for Independiente after Osvaldo Mura restored the three-goal margin in the 82nd minute.

Peñarol went on to win the 1966 tournament, then became the first team not to repeat as champions when they failed to reach the 1967 final.

9 December 1984 - Percudani Pounces On Liverpool

On 9 December 1984, Independiente won their second Intercontinental Cup, beating Liverpool 1-0.

The Argentinians were making their sixth appearance in the competition after a 10-year absence and a previous record of four losses (1964, 1965, 1972, 1974) and one win--a 1-0 victory over Juventus in 1973. Liverpool, meanwhile, were in it for only the second time after losing 3-0 to Flamengo in 1981.

Playing before a crowd of 62,000 at Tokyo's National Stadium, Liverpool's attack featured the high-scoring forward pairing of Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush (Rush was Europe's top scorer that season with 32 goals in 41 league appearances). But it was 19-year old Independiente striker José Percudani (pictured) who got the day's only goal. He sprinted past the Liverpool defense to latch on to a pass that had been sent from beyond the midfield stripe, then beat goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar with a tidy left-footed finish.

It turned out to be the last time in the competition for either club, though Liverpool made an appearance in the 2005 edition of its successor, the FIFA Club World Cup, losing 1-0 to São Paulo.

15 September 1965 - It's True, Defense Wins Championships

On 15 September 1965, Inter won their second consecutive Intercontinental Cup, beating the same team they beat for their first one.

They won it the previous year over Argentina's Independiente, in both teams' first appearance in the competition. They split the first two legs before Inter clinched the title in a replay, winning 1-0 at the San Siro.

The same two teams met again in 1965. Inter won the first leg in convincing fashion, beating Independiente at the San Siro by the score of 3-0. At the time, the contest was decided on points, so an Independiente win by any score in the second leg would send the teams to another replay.

But under manager Helenio Herrera, Inter had mastered the defensive style known as catenaccio. And playing before a hostile crowd of 80,000 at La Doble Visera, they practiced it to perfection, shutting Independiente out for the fourth time in five meetings to claim their second title.

The 1965 victory was Inter's last appearance in the competition, while Independiente went on to win it in 1973 and 1984.

6 June 1973 - No Copa For Colo-Colo

On 6 June 1973, Independiente won their fourth Copa Libertadores, beating Colo-Colo after extra time in a replay.

The most successful club in the competition's history, Independiente won their first tournament titles in 1963 and 1964, then won it again in 1972. As defending champions, they entered the 1973 edition in the semifinal group stage, where they advanced over San Lorenzo and Millonarios.

Colo-Colo, meanwhile, topped their opening-round group that included Uníon Española, Emelec, and El Nacional, then advanced to their first final by winning their semifinal group over Botofogo and Cerra Porteños.

Scheduled to be played over two legs, the Final opened on 22 May in Buenos Aires, where the two teams played to a 1-1 draw. One week later in Santiago, they drew again, 0-0, to force a replay at a neutral ground. They met on 6 June in Montevideo and again found little to separate them. They were even at 1-1 at the end of regulation before Indepentiente eventually found an extra-time winner.

Independiente returned to the Final three more times (1974, 1975, 1984) and currently hold a tournament-record seven titles. Colo-Colo eventually got a title of their own, winning it in 1991 on their only other trip to the Final.

13 December 1981 - Liverpool Probably Should've Stayed Home This Time, Too

On 13 December 1981, Flamengo beat Liverpool 3-0 in the Intercontinental Cup before a crowd of 62,000 at Tokyo's National Stadium.

Since its creation in 1960, the Intercontinental Cup pitted the European champions against the South American champions. As winners of the European Cup in 1977 and 1978, Liverpool qualified for the Intercontinental Cup in both years, but declined both times. The 1981 match was thus the first appearance for both clubs.

The outcome of the match was never in doubt, as it became a showcase for the Brazilians' playmaker and captain, Zico, who created all three of Flamengo's goals. In the 12th minute, he sent a lob pass over the Liverpool defense to set up the goal by Nunes; in the 34th minute, he delivered a free kick that was slotted home by Adilio; and in the 41st minute, he sent a precision pass into the box for Nunes, who completed his brace.

The English side, meanwhile, was unable to penetrate Flamengo's stout defense and ended up on the wrong side of the 3-0 scoreline. For his efforts, Zico was named man of the match.

The 1981 match is Flamengo's only appearance to date in the Cup. Liverpool made it again in 1984, when they lost to Argentinian side Independiente.

20 October 1976 - The Club Took Their Name Quite Literally

On 20 October 1976, 15-year old Diego Maradona became the youngest player in Argentina's Primera División history when he made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors in a home match against Talleres de Córdoba.

With Argentinos trailing 1-0, he entered the match as a substitute in the 46th minute, wearing the number 16 shirt. Maradona was still 10 days away from his 16th birthday at the time. 

Argentinos lost the match, 1-0, but Maradona would go on to make an additional 166 appearances for Argentinos from 1976-80, scoring 115 goals. In 1981, he transferred to Boca Juniors for £1 million. Coincidentially, Maradona's debut for Boca was also against Talleres, but that time his side emerged 4-1 winners. 

Maradona's record as the youngest player to appear in the Primera División lasted until 7 July 2003, when Sergio Agüero debuted for Independiente at the age of 15 years, 35 days.

28 September 1972 - Total Football, Total Domination

On 28 September 1972, Ajax won the Intercontinental Cup with a 3-0 win over Independiente.

The Dutch side had finished the previous season with a triple, winning the league, the KNVB Cup, and their second European Cup. As winners of the 1971 European Cup, they had qualified to face Copa Libertadores champions Nacional in that year's Intercontinental Cup, but declined to participate. When the opportunity came again in 1972, they had a change of heart and accepted, agreeing to face Independiente in the two-legged competition.

The Argentinians hosted the first leg at La Doble Visera in Avellaneda on 6 September. Although Ajax led for 76 minutes after Johan Cruyff scored (5'), Francisco Sá's 81st-minute equalizer earned a draw.

Twenty-two days later, the teams met at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam for the second leg. Ajax again took an early lead as Johan Neeskens scored in the 12th minute, but unlike the previous match, they were able to extend their lead. In the 65th minute, Cruyff broke through the offside trap to face the keeper one-on-one before squaring the ball for a charging Johnny Rep, who had an easy goal into an open net.

Independiente surged forward in search of a goal of their own, but could not keep possession. With their defense pushed forward, Neeskens got through again and scored in the 80th minute to seal the 3-0 victory, winning the trophy 4-1 on aggregate.

27 July 1984 - Seventh Heaven For Independiente

On 27 July 1984, Independiente won their record seventh Copa Libertadores, beating Grêmio on points over two legs.

Independiente were already the competition's most successful team, winning it six times between 1964 and 1975, including four straight from 1972 to 1975. Grêmio had lifted the cup more recently, though, taking the honors in 1983. Both teams had won it everytime they appeared in the final, setting a pattern that the 1984 final would have to break.

Grêmio hosted the first leg on 24 July, but Independiente got the win with a goal from midfielder Jorge Burrachaga. At the time, the final was decided on points, with two for a win and one for a draw, which meant that Independiente would claim the trophy as long as they didn't lose the second leg three days later.

Which they didn't, holding Grêmio to a scoreless draw. The title was their seventh, which remains the most of any club.

6 June 1999 - There's Some Crazy Numerology Going On There

On 6 June 1999, Boca Juniors' Argentinian-record unbeaten streak ended at 40 with a 4-0 loss to Independiente.

Their streak started over a year earlier with a 2-4 win over Huracán in the fifteenth week of the 1998 Clausura and extended through that year's Apertura, which ended with Boca as champions on the back of thirteen wins and only six draws. It then carried over into the 1999 Clausura, as Boca won twelve and drew four of their first sixteen games.

With the streak standing at 40 and only three matches left in the season, they were away at Independiente. The two had played only once during Boca's unbeaten run, a 0-0 draw at the Bombanera the previous November. But it did not take long for the hosts to signal their intent, as striker José Luis Calderón (pictured) scored in the sixth minute.

Boca had a chance to equalize when the referee awarded them a penalty in the tenth minute, but Martín Palermo's shot was blocked by keeper Norberto Scoponi. Two minutes later, the referee awarded a penalty to Independiente, and Calderón converted to stretch the lead to 2-0.

Independiente striker Víctor López added a third in the 61st minute, then Calderón delivered the coup de grâce in the 75th, lobbing the ball over the keeper's head from the edge of the midfield circle to set the final margin at 4-0.

Although their streak ended at 40, Boca took some consolation by lifting the Clausura trophy.

10 April 1975 - A Cup Out Of Time

On 10 April 1975, Atlético Madrid won the Intercontinental Cup, beating Independiente over two legs.

It was the third straight appearance (and fifth overall) for Independiente, whose brutal play in the 1972 tournament against Ajax led the Dutch side to decline participation in 1973 even though they qualified by winning that year's European Cup. Their place in the Intercontinental Cup went to runners-up Juventus, who were beaten by Independiente in the competition's first single-match final.

The 1974 tournament returned to a two-legged final, played in early 1975. Bayern Munich qualified as European Cup champions, but also chose not to participate, opening the door for runners-up Atlético.

Independiente won the first leg in Argentina, 1-0, on 12 March, then traveled to Spain for the second leg. Playing before a crowd of 65,000 at Madrid's Estadio Vicente Calderón, Atlético drew level on aggregate with a 34th-minute strike from Javier Irureta. Then, in the 85th minute, with time close to expiring and a replay looming, striker Rubén Ayala scored to put the hosts up 2-1 on aggregate and they held on for the victory.

The 1976 Intercontinental Cup was played that November, so while it was played twice that year, 1975 officially did not have an Intercontinental Cup.

19 October 1974 - Independiente Takes Five

On 19 October 1974, Independiente won their third straight Copa Libertadores--and fifth overall--beating São Paulo in a playoff, 1-0.

Going into the final, Independiente were already the tournament's most successful team, winning it in 1964, 1965, 1972, and 1973, while São Paulo were in the final for the first time. But they split the two legs, with São Paulo winning 2-1 in Brazil and Independiente taking the honors in Argentina, 2-0. Level on points, they met at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago for a playoff.

There, 60,000 people looked on as Independiente left back Ricardo Pavoni scored in the 37th minute. It was the only goal of the match, giving Independiente the win, their fifth title in five final appearances for the Argentinians.

They continued their perfect record in the final, winning it again in 1975 and 1984. São Paulo, meanwhile, reached the final five more times, lifting the cup in 1992, 1993, and 2005.

12 August 1964 - A Small Degree Of Separation Is Enough

On 12 August 1964, Independiente won the first of their record seven Copa Libertadores titles, beating Nacional on points.

It was the fifth edition of the tournament and the first appearance in the final for both teams. They each won their first-round group with identical records of three wins and a draw to advance to the semifinals. There, Independiente topped two-time defending champions Santos by winning both legs, while Nacional did the same to Colo-Colo.

The final was played over two legs, home and away, with the champion determined by points. The teams met at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo for the first leg on 6 August, where they split the points by playing to a scoreless draw, then reconvened six days later at the Estadio de Independiente for the second leg.

The second leg was another close affair, with the teams separated only by a 35th-minute goal from Independiente's Mario Rodríguez, but it was enough for the hosts to claim the trophy.

Independiente repeated as champion in 1965, then proceeded to win it again in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1984. Nacional returned to the final in 1967 and 1969 before eventually winning it in 1971 (then again in 1980 and 1988).

5 May 1998 - Boca's First Step To Forty

On 5 May 1998, Boca Juniors beat Huracán 2-4. It was the first of their Argentinian record forty-match unbeaten streak that included two league titles.

The run coincided with the arrival of manager Carlos Bianchi (pictured), who had won three league titles and the Copa Libertadores as the boss of Vélez Sársfield from 1993 to 1996 and had just spent a brief spell in charge of Roma.

Boca struggled in Bianchi's first season, the 1998 Clausura. The win over Huracán came in the fifteenth match of the season and Boca followed it with three more wins and a draw to finish in the table's sixth spot. But they continued their unbeaten run in the next season, the 1998 Apertura, to finish as undefeated champions with a record of thirteen wins and six draws.

The streak continued for another sixteen matches in the 1999 Clausura before Boca lost to Independiente 4-0 on 6 June 1999. The overall record of forty unbeaten matches beat the previous high mark of thirty-nine set by Racing in 1965-66 and also helped Boca claim the Clausura title to repeat as champions.

Although the streak stopped at forty, Bianchi continued to enjoy success at Boca, winning one more league title, two Copa Libertadores trophies, and one Intercontinental Cup before his departure in 2001. He then returned in 2003 and added another league title, another Copa Libertadores trophy, and another Intercontinental Cup before leaving again in 2005.

15 April 1965 - The Pattern Holds For Independiente

On 15 April 1965, Independiente won their second consecutive Copa Libertadores, beating Peñarol in a playoff.

Established five years earlier as the Copa Campeones de América, the tournament had already fallen into a pattern, with Peñarol winning the first two (1960 and 1961) and Santos winning the next two (1962 and 1963). Independiente won the 1964 edition, priming them to follow the pattern and repeat as champions in 1965.

The final was scheduled for two legs, home and away. On 9 April, Independiente won the first leg in Argentina 1-0 with an 83rd-minute goal from midfielder Raúl Bernao. But Peñarol dominated the second leg in Uruguay on 12 April, going up 3-0 in the first 46 minutes en route to a 3-1 victory. Under the rules at the time, the winner was determined on points, not goal differential, so the split results meant that a playoff was required.

For the playoff, the teams met at the neutral Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile. There, Independiente surged to a 3-0 lead of their own with goals from Carlos Pérez (10'), Bernao (27'), and Roque Avallay (33'). Peñarol winger Juan Joya pulled one back one minute before the break, but the match finished as a 4-1 win for Independiente after Osvaldo Mura restored the three-goal margin in the 82nd minute.

Peñarol went on to win the 1966 tournament, then became the first team not to repeat as champions when they failed to reach the 1967 final.

9 December 1984 - Percudani Pounces On Liverpool

On 9 December 1984, Independiente won their second Intercontinental Cup, beating Liverpool 1-0.

The Argentinians were making their sixth appearance in the competition after a 10-year absence and a previous record of four losses (1964, 1965, 1972, 1974) and one win--a 1-0 victory over Juventus in 1973. Liverpool, meanwhile, were in it for only the second time after losing 3-0 to Flamengo in 1981.

Playing before a crowd of 62,000 at Tokyo's National Stadium, Liverpool's attack featured the high-scoring forward pairing of Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush (Rush was Europe's top scorer that season with 32 goals in 41 league appearances). But it was 19-year old Independiente striker José Percudani (pictured) who got the day's only goal. He sprinted past the Liverpool defense to latch on to a pass that had been sent from beyond the midfield stripe, then beat goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar with a tidy left-footed finish.

It turned out to be the last time in the competition for either club, though Liverpool made an appearance in the 2005 edition of its successor, the FIFA Club World Cup, losing 1-0 to São Paulo.

15 September 1965 - It's True, Defense Wins Championships

On 15 September 1965, Inter won their second consecutive Intercontinental Cup, beating the same team they beat for their first one.

They won it the previous year over Argentina's Independiente, in both teams' first appearance in the competition. They split the first two legs before Inter clinched the title in a replay, winning 1-0 at the San Siro.

The same two teams met again in 1965. Inter won the first leg in convincing fashion, beating Independiente at the San Siro by the score of 3-0. At the time, the contest was decided on points, so an Independiente win by any score in the second leg would send the teams to another replay.

But under manager Helenio Herrera, Inter had mastered the defensive style known as catenaccio. And playing before a hostile crowd of 80,000 at La Doble Visera, they practiced it to perfection, shutting Independiente out for the fourth time in five meetings to claim their second title.

The 1965 victory was Inter's last appearance in the competition, while Independiente went on to win it in 1973 and 1984.

6 June 1973 - No Copa For Colo-Colo

On 6 June 1973, Independiente won their fourth Copa Libertadores, beating Colo-Colo after extra time in a replay.

The most successful club in the competition's history, Independiente won their first tournament titles in 1963 and 1964, then won it again in 1972. As defending champions, they entered the 1973 edition in the semifinal group stage, where they advanced over San Lorenzo and Millonarios.

Colo-Colo, meanwhile, topped their opening-round group that included Uníon Española, Emelec, and El Nacional, then advanced to their first final by winning their semifinal group over Botofogo and Cerra Porteños.

Scheduled to be played over two legs, the Final opened on 22 May in Buenos Aires, where the two teams played to a 1-1 draw. One week later in Santiago, they drew again, 0-0, to force a replay at a neutral ground. They met on 6 June in Montevideo and again found little to separate them. They were even at 1-1 at the end of regulation before Indepentiente eventually found an extra-time winner.

Independiente returned to the Final three more times (1974, 1975, 1984) and currently hold a tournament-record seven titles. Colo-Colo eventually got a title of their own, winning it in 1991 on their only other trip to the Final.

13 December 1981 - Liverpool Probably Should've Stayed Home This Time, Too

On 13 December 1981, Flamengo beat Liverpool 3-0 in the Intercontinental Cup before a crowd of 62,000 at Tokyo's National Stadium.

Since its creation in 1960, the Intercontinental Cup pitted the European champions against the South American champions. As winners of the European Cup in 1977 and 1978, Liverpool qualified for the Intercontinental Cup in both years, but declined both times. The 1981 match was thus the first appearance for both clubs.

The outcome of the match was never in doubt, as it became a showcase for the Brazilians' playmaker and captain, Zico, who created all three of Flamengo's goals. In the 12th minute, he sent a lob pass over the Liverpool defense to set up the goal by Nunes; in the 34th minute, he delivered a free kick that was slotted home by Adilio; and in the 41st minute, he sent a precision pass into the box for Nunes, who completed his brace.

The English side, meanwhile, was unable to penetrate Flamengo's stout defense and ended up on the wrong side of the 3-0 scoreline. For his efforts, Zico was named man of the match.

The 1981 match is Flamengo's only appearance to date in the Cup. Liverpool made it again in 1984, when they lost to Argentinian side Independiente.