| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 27 – November 28 |
| Teams | 21 (from 10 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Boca Juniors (2nd title) |
| Runners-up |  Deportivo Cali |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 75 |
| Goals scored | 179 (2.39 per match) |
← 1977 1979 → | |
The 1978 edition of Copa Libertadores was won by Boca Juniors, of Argentina for the second straight year, after defeating Deportivo Cali of Colombia in the final. The defending champions won the two-leg final 0–4 on aggregate, with all four goals coming in the second-leg match after the first leg ended in a goalless draw.
The champions and runners-up of each football association were drawn into the same group along with another football association's participating teams. Three clubs from Argentina competed as Boca Juniors was champion of the 1977 Copa Libertadores. They entered the tournament in the Semifinals.
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | RIV
|
IND
|
 LDQ
|
EN
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | River Plate
|
6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 8 | Qualified to the semi-finals | — | 0–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | Independiente
|
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 8 | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 | LDU Quito
|
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | −6 | 5 | 0–0 | 1–0 | — | 3–2 | ||
| 4 | El Nacional
|
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | — |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| River Plate
|
4–1 | Independiente
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  ALI
|
CRI
|
 STR
|
OPE
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alianza Lima
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 5 | +14 | 11 | Qualified to the semi-finals | — | 2–2 | 2–0 | 5–1 | |
| 2 | Sporting Cristal
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 1–4 | — | 3–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | The Strongest
|
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 4 | 1–2 | 3–1 | — | 2–0 | ||
| 4 | Oriente Petrolero
|
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 2 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 4–1 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  CAM
|
 UE
|
SAO
|
PAL
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlético Mineiro
|
6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 8 | +8 | 10 | Qualified to the semi-finals | — | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | Unión Española
|
6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 6 | 1–1 | — | 1–1 | 0–0 | ||
| 3 | São Paulo
|
6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 5 | 1–2 | 1–1 | — | 1–2 | ||
| 4 | Palestino
|
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 3 | 4–5 | 2–3 | 0–1 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | CAL
|
 PEÑ
|
JUN
|
DAN
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deportivo Cali
|
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 8 | Qualified to the semi-finals | — | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | Peñarol
|
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0–2 | — | 1–0 | 4–2 | ||
| 3 | Junior
|
6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0–0 | 1–0 | — | 0–0 | ||
| 4 | Danubio
|
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 4 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  CCP
|
 POR
|
ESM
|
LIB
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerro Porteño
|
6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 9 | Qualified to the semi-finals | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | Portuguesa
|
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 1–1 | — | 1–2 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | Estudiantes de Mérida
|
6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 5 | 2–3 | 0–0 | — | 1–1 | ||
| 4 | Libertad
|
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 4 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BOC
|
RIV
|
CAM
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boca Juniors
|
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 | Qualified to the final | — | 0–0 | 3–1 | |
| 2 | River Plate
|
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 3 | 0–2 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | Atlético Mineiro
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | CAL
|
CCP
|
ALI
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deportivo Cali
|
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 7 | Qualified to the final | — | 1–1 | 3–2 | |
| 2 | Cerro Porteño
|
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 3 | 0–4 | — | 3–1 | ||
| 3 | Alianza Lima
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 2 | 1–4 | 3–0 | — |
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deportivo Cali
|
0–4 | Boca Juniors
|
0–0 | 0–4 |
| Copa Libertadores 1978 winners |
|---|
 Boca Juniors 2nd title |
