The return of Racing Club to the Copa Libertadores was hardly improveable. They had to debut in Brazil against Fortaleza and, after the scare in the first few minutes, they became a force that ruthlessly crushed the team coached by Juan Pablo Vojvoda. An exciting start with which Racing fans can dream of repeating the feat achieved by River Plate a decade ago.

How many teams have won both the Sudamericana and the Libertadores consecutively?

The moment that Racing Club is going through in international tournaments certainly invites optimism. After defeating Cruzeiro in the Copa Sudamericana final and then Botafogo in the Recopa, Racing Club is now positioned to link the two biggest trophies in South America by conquering the Copa Libertadores. A milestone that, throughout history, has only been achieved by River Plate in South America, after winning the Copa Sudamericana in 2014 and the Copa Libertadores in 2015.

Invaded by the euphoria of the title, Gustavo Costas had already warned that Racing Club was very serious about the pursuit of its second Copa Libertadores almost 60 years later. A strong statement… which he reaffirmed after the victory against Fortaleza: “We have to win it, no matter what, because Racing needs it. Dreaming is not enough with words. Afterward, we have to prove it on the field, and today, they showed me that.”

Racing has the formula to end Brazilian dominance in the Copa Libertadores

Racing, of course, has reasons to be excited about winning the Copa Libertadores again. Especially because only two Argentine teams in history have managed to win 3-0 in Brazil. The first was River against Cruzeiro in 2015 during the first stage of Marcelo Gallardo. Two years later, San Lorenzo did the same against Athletico Paranaense. Now, joining these two, Racing has added itself to the list.

This is no small fact, as the last six champions of the Copa Libertadores have been Brazilian teams… and Racing Club is proving that it has the weapons to break this dominance. Obviously, this is just the beginning, and there is still much ahead. But it is clear that, day by day, the excitement among Racing Club's fans continues to grow exponentially.