On November 26, 1996, the Intercontinental Cup final was played at the National Stadium in Tokyo. On one side there is Juventus, on the other River Plate. The Bianconeri have just won the Champions League on penalties, with Jugovic decisive, while River Plate had lifted the Libertadores in the final against Colombia’s America de Calì. On the pitch there are players who, in the future, will also become icons of our championship, like Julio Cruz, or Ortega and Marcelo Salas. There is also the Prince, Ezio Francescoli, in the last rush of his career after being King of Cagliari.
That Juventus that from 1995-96 to 1997-98 was something unrepeatable, or almost. Winner of the Champions League against Ajax, defeat against Borussia Dortmund in the final, reply against Real Madrid. Three years without ever being, in fact, eliminated, having played all the available matches. With the attack changing every time, like that end of November where Del Piero and Boksic were there, with Zidane behind the strikers. The captain himself is decisive in the development of a corner, finding the diagonal from a tight angle to remove the cobwebs from the top corner. One-nil final and last Intercontinental Cup won by Juventus so far.
Juventus-River Plate 1-0
Markers: 81′ Del Piero (J).
Juventus (4-3-1-2)
Peruzzi; Porrini, Ferrara, Montero, Torricelli; Di Livio, Deschamps, Jugović; Zidane (90′ Tacchinardi); Del Piero, Boksić.
Trainer: Marcello Lippi.
River Plate (4-3-1-2)
Bonano; Hernán Díaz, C. Ayala, Berizzo, Sorín; Monserrat, Astrada, Berti (74′ Gancedo); Ortega; J.Cruz (83′ Marcelo Salas), Francescoli.
Trainer: Ramón Díaz.