O Cruzeiro de 1977 era o campeão em título da Libertadores e chegou à final do torneio, perdendo para o Boca Juniors nos pênaltis (5 a 4) após um jogo-desempate sem gols.
Cruzeiro 1977
Cruzeiro's 1977 team was the one that defended the Copa Libertadores title won in 1976. It reached the tournament final and lost to Boca Juniors on penalties, after a goalless playoff match in Montevideo.
History
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube was founded in 1921, in Belo Horizonte, with the name Palestra Itália. In 1976 the club won the Copa Libertadores da América for the first time, defeating River Plate in the final, and went on to compete in the 1977 edition as the title holders. In the 1977 Libertadores, the sky-blue team advanced to the final against Boca Juniors. The two decisive matches ended with 1-0 victories for each side, which led to the decision going to a third game, played in Montevideo. The playoff match ended scoreless and the trophy was decided on penalties, with Boca Juniors winning 5-4. It was Boca Juniors' first Libertadores, which the Argentine club would repeat in 1978. The team of that period brought together remarkable names in the club's history, such as right-back Nelinho, midfielder Dirceu Lopes and defender Wilson Piazza, who were part of the generation that took Cruzeiro to the top of the continent in 1976 and to the 1977 final.