SM
Brighton vs. Man City: 10 hrs 32 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

On this day: Chelsea beat Benfica in dramatic Europa League final

:Headline: On this day: Chelsea beat Benfica in dramatic Europa League final: ID:399465: from db_amp
Branislav Ivanovic netted a late winner.

Chelsea won the Europa League by beating Benfica 2-1 on May 15, 2013.

Here, the PA news agency looks at that memorable night in Amsterdam.

Late drama

This looked a mouth-watering line-up on paper between two of the top teams in Europe but the first half was a damp squib as both teams cancelled each other out. However, it came to life after the break as Fernando Torres put Chelsea ahead on the hour only for Oscar Cardozo to level from the penalty spot eight minutes later. Extra-time seemed certain until Chelsea had one final attack in the third minute of injury time, forcing a corner from which Branislav Ivanovic headed home.

Back-to-back European success

Branislav Ivanovic heads home the winner in the third minute of injury time (Nick Potts/PA)

Ivanovic's last-gasp heroics earned him a place in Chelsea folklore as they earned back-to-back European trophies. It had been a difficult season for the Blues, having come into it as Champions League winners. Roberto Di Matteo was soon sacked and their defence of the trophy ended at the group stage, losing out to Shakhtar Donetsk for second spot. However, they made serene progress through the knockout stages of the second-tier competition and won their fourth European trophy.

Rafa's redemption

Chelsea fans were not welcoming of Rafa Benitez as their manager (Adam Davy/PA)

Not many managers get booed by the home fans in their first game in charge, but that was the case for Rafa Benitez when he was appointed as Di Matteo's replacement on an interim basis. Chelsea fans refused to forget disparaging comments made about the club when the Spaniard was in charge of Liverpool. Still, Benitez did a professional job, despite knowing he would be leaving at the end of the season, delivering another European trophy and putting Chelsea back in the Champions League with a top-three Premier League finish.

amp_article__399465 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2020-05-15 08:07:58:
html db last update - 2021-03-08 18:48:11 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Liverpool34228475344174
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .