SM
Wolves vs. Forest: 16 hrs 27 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 - 2020-05-15 08:07:58 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool19144147192846
2Arsenal20117239182140
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
4Chelsea20106439241536
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle20105534221235
6Manchester CityMan City2010463627934
7Bournemouth209653023733
8Aston Villa209563032-232
9Fulham207943027330
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2061043029128
11Brentford208393835327
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs20731042301224
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd206592328-523
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham206592439-1523
15Crystal Palace204972128-721
16Everton193881525-1017
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Ipswich TownIpswich2037102035-1516
19Leicester CityLeicester2035122344-2114
20Southampton2013161244-326
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.



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