The best Copa Libertadores finals this century

The 2020 Copa Libertadores advances. In an outlier year due to the pandemic, we saw that the competition had to be delayed for a while. This can be evidenced on the date on which the grand final will be played, which will take place on January 23, 2021, location and time to be defined .

Despite this pause, the truth is that we are seeing a tournament of excellent quality. Highly contested games between great teams, a lot of goals and a good quality of play in general terms. Therefore, to anticipate, we decided to find out which were the last best Copa Libertadores finals in recent years.

Also read: Heroic! 3 historical comebacks in the Copa Libertadores

Boca-Palmeiras (2000)

One of the most iconic games for Boca fans. Goal website mentioned that this 2020 marked 20 years since the deed of Carlos Bianchi's team, which managed to reach continental glory at the Morumbí stadium , which meant the beginning of a historic era for Boca Juniors led by the idol of this institution.

Everyone's favorite was the São Paulo team, led by the successful Luiz Felipe Scolari, who had won the competition in the previous edition. However, the team led by the Virey managed to draw 2-2 in the first game at La Bombonera, and then also reach another very fought 0-0 draw at Morumbí. The result? Some iconic penalties, where Colombian goalkeeper Óscar Córdoba was a figure in that shoot-out and saved two shots that meant the xeneinze title .

Fluminense-Liga de Quito (2008)

This was a historic achievement for Latin American football, as Liga became (until now) the only Ecuadorian team in history to win this trophy . That is to say, we are talking about an authentic feat where the group led by Edgardo Bauza, against all odds, managed to curdle an excellent performance until reaching the final.

There he won, in the first leg, 4-2 in Ecuador, taking advantage of the altitude, although with the risk of having to visit the mythical Maracana. The return leg started 1-0 in favor of the Ecuadorian team, although then there was a hat trick by Thiago Neves, leveling the aggregate score at 5-5. After going to extra time, everything was defined in penalties, where Liga de Quito finally achieved victory .

Estudiantes LP-Cruzeiro (2009)

The following year we also had an epic finale. In this case, the fourth conquest of the Pincha took place, with a consolidated team, but that did not start on the right foot. The Copa Libertadores that year began with Leonardo Astrada as coach, but was later replaced by Alejandro Sabella, who had his first experience.

From the Copa Libertadores website they indicated that in the group stage they had already crossed paths with this rival. The first leg, at the La Plata stadium, ended 0-0. However, the Argentines never lost hope, even in the return leg, at Mineirao, where the Brazilians started winning 1-0. Thanks to the football leadership of Verón already a sensational team performance, they were able to overcome it, finishing 2 to 1 .

River-Boca (2018)

The final of finals and, possibly, the most important in history for several reasons. The first and most obvious is that it occurred with the great Latin American classic: Boca and River who, for the first time, defined this title. However, it was also the last time that this competition would have a two-legged final, since from the next edition it would be held in a neutral stadium.

After eliminating them in the 2014 Copa Sudamericana and the 2015 Copa Libertadores (in which River became champion), Marcelo Gallardo's team visited Guillermo Barros Schelotto's Boca in La Bombonera. The match would end in a 2-2 draw, but the really unusual thing happened in the second leg, which was to be played at El Monumental.

Due to incidents of public order, the party had to move to the Santiago Bernabéu, in Madrid . There Boca, as in the first dispute, also began winning, although then River would tie it and take it to overtime. However, there he would take the advantage and the match would end 3 against 1, being remembered as the most iconic final of all time. Will the one of 2021 be up to any of these?