In the 1973 season, under the orders of the coaches Luis Vera and Jorge Aretio, behind of Unión Española and Colo-Colo, the team and Huachipato finished in third place, returning to the success of this form. After a notable 1978 tournament, the team reached the qualification to the following edition of the Copa Libertadores, in which they achieved their biggest win for an international contest against Deportivo Galicia, beating to the Venezuelan side at Parque El Teniente in the city of Rancagua, and also achieved his most important away win for an international tournament, winning 1–0 at Valencia to the same Galicia. The performances achieved under Luis Santibáñez as head coach was very well, after of be eliminated in by Palestino in the first round, failing to qualify to the semifinal against Paraguayan side Olimpia, because the team of La Cisterna won 1–0 to Rancagua's club with a goal of the historic centre back Elías Figueroa.