Match summary
The biggest achievement in the club's history was undoubtedly its epic 1968 Intercontinental Cup triumph. Opponents Manchester United were firm favourites going into the tie, and only a handful of players and supporters dared believe the underdogs could pull off an upset.

The chances seemed even more remote after the first leg in La Plata, where Estudiantes scraped a 1-0 win thanks to Marcos Conigliaro's 28th-minute strike. As the final whistle blew, it was the United players and fans who were celebrating with the local papers gloomily predicting a heavy defeat in the return leg in Manchester.

Surprisingly, though, Estudiantes made all the running as the second leg kicked off and took the lead after only seven minutes. In a trademark move straight off the training ground, Juan Ramón Verón nodded home Raúl Madero's cross to silence a packed home crowd. Alberto Poletti then took over with a string of great saves before Morgan finally equalised on the night a minute from time. It was too little, too late, however, for the European champions and a stunned silence greeted the final whistle as El Pincha became the first non-English side to win a trophy at the mythical Old Trafford.

Key player
Although Juan Ramón Verón, a truly gifted inside-left with a deadly finish, was widely regarded as the outstanding player of the side, few would disagree that the secret of Estudiantes' success was the team itself - a finely tuned unit in which each player performed specific roles with amazing precision, all under the watchful eye of the coach. The club motto, "Unity is our Strength", encapsulated this and was symbolised by the agile Poletti in goal, Carlos Pachamé at the back, Bilardo in midfield and Verón up front.

Coach
"We're ahead in the tie. Let's see how they're going to beat us." These words, spoken on the eve of the return leg in Manchester, a game everyone expected Estudiantes to lose, sum up the philosophy of coach Osvaldo Juan Zubeldía perfectly. He instilled a never-say-die attitude in his players, and his organisation and sacrifice made every objective achievable, every mission possible.

The master tactician's first task was to mould a close-knit group before honing its tactics to perfection. He had a gift for getting the most out of each and every player to the benefit of the team, laying the foundations for its remarkable success on the training ground, which in the words of the media at the time "often resembled a laboratory". Zubeldía left nothing to chance, pioneering the use of set-piece plays and the offside trap, and his achievements with Estudiantes are still hailed by those who see him as a coaching revolutionary.

First leg
Estudiantes de La Plata 1 Manchester United 0
Venue and date: Buenos Aires, 25 September 1968.
Stadium: La Bombonera (Boca Juniors)
Attendance: 35,000.
Referee: Hugo Sosa Miranda (Paraguay).
Estudiantes de La Plata: Poletti, Malbernat, Aguirre Suárez, Hugo Medina, Bilardo, Pachamé, Madero, Ribaudo, Conigliaro, Togneri, Verón.
Coach: Osvaldo Zubeldía.
Manchester United:Stepney, Dunne, Foulkes, Sadler, Burns, Crerand, Charlton, Stiles, Morgan, Law, Best.
Coach: Matt Busby.
Scorer:Marcos Conigliaro (E) (1-0; 28').
Second leg
Manchester United 1 Estudiantes de La Plata 1
Venue and date: Manchester; 16 October 1968.
Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 63,500.
Referee:Constantín Zecevic (Yugoslavia).
Manchester United: Stepney, Dunne, Foulkes, Brennan, Crerand, Sadler, Morgan, Kidd,Charlton, Law (Sartori), Best.
Coach: Matt Busby.
Estudiantes de La Plata: Poletti, Malbernat, Aguirre Suárez, Hugo Medina, Bilardo, Pachamé, Madero, Ribaudo (Echecopar), Conigliaro, Togneri, Verón.
Coach: Osvaldo Zubeldía.
Scorers: Verón (E) (1-0; 7'); Morgan (MU) (1-1, 89').
Sent off: George Best (MU), José Medina (E).