1996 Copa Libertadores group stage
The 1996 Copa Libertadores group stage or 1996 Copa Libertadores first stage was played from 13 March to 17 April 1996. A total of 20 teams competed in the group stage to decide 15 places in the final stages of the 1996 Copa Libertadores, where they joined defending champions Grêmio.
Groups composition
Same as previous editions, the 20 participating teams were divided into 5 groups of 4, which consisted of two teams from one national association and two teams from another. The draw of the tournament was held on 3 November 1995 in Asunción, Paraguay and the paired associations for this edition were as follows:[1]
- Group 1: .svg.png) Paraguay and Paraguay and Ecuador Ecuador
- Group 2:  Uruguay and Uruguay and.svg.png) Peru Peru
- Group 3:  Bolivia and Bolivia and Colombia Colombia
- Group 4:  Brazil and Brazil and Chile Chile
- Group 5:  Argentina and Argentina and.svg.png) Venezuela Venezuela
Format
In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The teams were ranked according to the following criteria: 1. Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss); 2. Goal difference; 3. Goals scored; 4. Away goals scored; 5. Drawing of lots.
As of this edition, the extra game that was played to define the positions between teams from the same national association in case of a tie in points was no longer held. Therefore, the above criteria were applied to all teams regardless of the national association to which they belong.
The winners, runners-up and third placed teams of each group advanced to the round of 16 of the final stages.
Groups
Group 1
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BAR | CCP | ESP | OLI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Barcelona | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 13 | Round of 16 | — | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–1 | |
| 2 | .svg.png) Cerro Porteño | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 10 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | 0–0 | ||
| 3 |  ESPOLI | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 6 | 1–2 | 2–1 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | .svg.png) Olimpia | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 5 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | — | 
| Olimpia .svg.png) | 1–2 |  Cerro Porteño | 
|---|---|---|
| Bourdier  29' | Report | Núñez  33' Villamayor  78' | 
| Barcelona  | 2–1 | .svg.png) Olimpia | 
|---|---|---|
| Makanaky  19' Alfaro  86' | Report | Bourdier  26' | 
| ESPOLI  | 2–1 | .svg.png) Cerro Porteño | 
|---|---|---|
| Rivera  74', 87' | Report | Ferreira  34' | 
| Barcelona  | 3–2 | .svg.png) Cerro Porteño | 
|---|---|---|
| Sarabia  1' (o.g.) Morales  69' (pen.) Alfaro  85' | Report | Espinoza  9' Villamayor  56' | 
| Cerro Porteño  | 0–0 | .svg.png) Olimpia | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
| Cerro Porteño .svg.png) | 2–1 |  ESPOLI | 
|---|---|---|
| Ferreira  16' Núñez  87' (pen.) | Report | Yépez  37' | 
| Cerro Porteño .svg.png) | 1–0 |  Barcelona | 
|---|---|---|
| Cristaldo  85' | Report | 
Group 2
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PEÑ | DFS | SCR | UNI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Peñarol | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 9 | Round of 16 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | |
| 2 |  Defensor Sporting | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 2–4 | — | 0–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 | .svg.png) Sporting Cristal | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 7 | 3–3 | 0–0 | — | 0–2 | ||
| 4 | .svg.png) Universitario | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 7 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | — | 
| Sporting Cristal .svg.png) | 0–2 | .svg.png) Universitario | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | González  9' Ferrari  62' | 
| Defensor Sporting  | 2–4 |  Peñarol | 
|---|---|---|
| Jorjão  32' Ra. Dos Santos  43' | Report | Soca  19' Romero  27', 68' (pen.) Sosa  85' | 
| Universitario .svg.png) | 1–3 |  Peñarol | 
|---|---|---|
| Gonzales  67' | Report | Pacheco  48' Tais  51' Bengoechea  84' | 
| Sporting Cristal .svg.png) | 3–3 |  Peñarol | 
|---|---|---|
| Zegarra  50', 68' Julinho  75' | Report | Magallanes  14' Bengoechea  32' Tais  55' | 
| Universitario .svg.png) | 1–1 |  Defensor Sporting | 
|---|---|---|
| Carazas  55' | Report | Ra. Dos Santos  52' | 
| Sporting Cristal .svg.png) | 0–0 |  Defensor Sporting | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
| Universitario .svg.png) | 1–2 | .svg.png) Sporting Cristal | 
|---|---|---|
| Rossi  26' | Report | Solano  61' Palacios  71' | 
| Peñarol  | 1–1 |  Defensor Sporting | 
|---|---|---|
| Bengoechea  64' (pen.) | Report | Ru. dos Santos  59' | 
| Defensor Sporting  | 2–0 | .svg.png) Universitario | 
|---|---|---|
| Abreu  24', 44' | Report | 
| Peñarol  | 1–1 | .svg.png) Sporting Cristal | 
|---|---|---|
| Romero  43' | Report | Palacios  14' | 
| Peñarol  | 1–2 | .svg.png) Universitario | 
|---|---|---|
| Magallanes  7' | Report | Carazas  3' Gonzales  67' | 
Group 3
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AME | JUN | SJO | GUA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  América de Cali | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 12 | Round of 16 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 | |
| 2 |  Junior | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 10 | 1–0 | — | 1–0 | 5–1 | ||
| 3 |  San José | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 9 | 1–0 | 2–0 | — | 2–1 | ||
| 4 |  Guabirá | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 16 | −9 | 4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | — | 
| Junior  | 1–0 |  América de Cali | 
|---|---|---|
| Pacheco  27' | Report | 
| Guabirá  | 0–2 |  América de Cali | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Máziri  50' De Ávila  55' | 
| San José  | 1–0 |  América de Cali | 
|---|---|---|
| Herrera  44' | Report | 
| Junior  | 5–1 |  Guabirá | 
|---|---|---|
| Chaparro  3' Valenciano  20', 85' Castro  26' Mendoza  80' | Report | Ceballos  78' | 
| América de Cali  | 2–0 |  Junior | 
|---|---|---|
| De Ávila  75', 81' | Report | 
| Guabirá  | 4–1 |  San José | 
|---|---|---|
| Cuenca  30' (o.g.) Ramos  42', 59' Paz  79' | Report | Paniagua  70' | 
| Guabirá  | 1–1 |  Junior | 
|---|---|---|
| Amarilla  24' | Report | Valenciano  55' | 
| América de Cali  | 2–0 |  San José | 
|---|---|---|
| Hernández  26' De Ávila  48' | Report | 
Group 4
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | COR | UCH | BOT | UCA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Corinthians | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 13 | Round of 16 | — | 3–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | |
| 2 |  Universidad de Chile | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 |  Botafogo | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 1–1 | 3–1 | — | 4–1 | ||
| 4 |  Universidad Católica | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 13 | −7 | 4 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 2–1 | — | 
| Corinthians  | 3–0 |  Botafogo | 
|---|---|---|
| Leonardo  26' Edmundo  44' Marcelinho Carioca  61' | Report | 
| Universidad de Chile  | 2–0 |  Universidad Católica | 
|---|---|---|
| Traverso  28' Salas  34' | Report | 
| Universidad Católica  | 2–3 |  Corinthians | 
|---|---|---|
| Rozental  29' López  50' | Report | Marcelinho Carioca  36' Leonardo  51' Edmundo  75' | 
| Universidad de Chile  | 1–0 |  Corinthians | 
|---|---|---|
| Goldberg  45' | Report | 
| Botafogo  | 4–1 |  Universidad Católica | 
|---|---|---|
| Dauri  35' Túlio Maravilha  58', 90' Bentinho  66' | Report | Caro  53' | 
| Corinthians  | 3–1 |  Universidad Católica | 
|---|---|---|
| Leonardo  15' Marcelinho Carioca  41' Souza  64' | Report | Catê  90' | 
| Botafogo  | 1–1 |  Corinthians | 
|---|---|---|
| Dauri  65' | Report | Souza  67' | 
| Universidad Católica  | 2–1 |  Botafogo | 
|---|---|---|
| Rozental  21', 83' | Report | Bentinho  41' | 
| Universidad de Chile  | 2–1 |  Botafogo | 
|---|---|---|
| Salas  45' Silvani  90' | Report | Jefferson  49' | 
| Corinthians  | 3–1 |  Universidad de Chile | 
|---|---|---|
| Edmundo  16' Leonardo  51', 76' | Report | Goldberg  38' | 
| Botafogo  | 3–1 |  Universidad de Chile | 
|---|---|---|
| Dauri  65' Fuentes  47' (o.g.) Bentinho  90' | Report | Rodríguez  67' | 
Group 5
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | RIV | SLO | MIN | CAR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  River Plate | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 3 | +11 | 14 | Round of 16 | — | 0–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 | |
| 2 |  San Lorenzo | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 10 | 1–1 | — | 5–1 | 4–0 | ||
| 3 | .svg.png) Minervén | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 16 | −8 | 5 | 1–2 | 2–2 | — | 4–2 | ||
| 4 | .svg.png) Caracas | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 17 | −11 | 2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 
| San Lorenzo  | 1–1 |  River Plate | 
|---|---|---|
| Netto  68' | Report | Francescoli  61' | 
| Caracas .svg.png) | 1–4 |  River Plate | 
|---|---|---|
| Salisú  4' | Report | Cedrés  21', 74' Amato  60' Francescoli  67' | 
| San Lorenzo  | 4–0 | .svg.png) Minervén | 
|---|---|---|
| Biaggio  13', 78' González  38' Monserrat  45' | Report | 
| River Plate  | 5–0 | .svg.png) Minervén | 
|---|---|---|
| Francescoli  20' (pen.), 39' Sanvicente  35' (o.g.) Crespo  71' Amato  90' | Report | 
| River Plate  | 2–0 | .svg.png) Caracas | 
|---|---|---|
| Crespo  46' Villalba  55' | Report | 
References
- ^ "Revista CONMEBOL N° 43" (PDF) (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
External links
- Copa Libertadores de América 1996, at RSSSF.org