Europa League Results: Ivanovic Stunner Hands Chelsea Another European Title with Dramatic Victory over Benfica in Final

May 15, 2013 04:53 PM EDT
Chelsea Ivanovic Benfica
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic heads home the winner against Benfica in their Europa League final, May 15"

 

Branislav Ivanovic did a Didier Drogba, scoring in the final minute of the game to give Chelsea a stunning 2-1 win over Benfica in the Europa League final at the Amsterdam Arena.

Thoroughly outplayed and indeed outclassed by Benfica over the 90 minutes, Chelsea were not bothered, as they found a way -- as they always do -- to clinch their second straight European trophy, a year after winning the Champions League in equally thrilling fashion.

Fernando Torres gave Chelsea the lead against the run of play, before Oscar Cardozo equalized from the penalty spot.

The game seemed to be headed for extra time, only for Ivanovic, the man who was suspended for the Champions League final against Bayern Munich last season, to pop up with a wonderful header in the 93rd minute to send the players and the fans into ecstasy.

With John Terry injured, Frank Lampard skippered the side as David Luiz was given the midfield role again by Rafa Benitez.

Benfica started the game extremely brightly, immediately putting Chelsea on the backfoot.

Oscar Cardozo had the first attempt on goal, with his header off a cross from the right not finding the target.

Benfica were playing some excellent stuff, with Cardozo again denied, courtesy a block inside the box, before some neat interplay put Nicolas Gaitan through, but the winger could not quite keep his shot on target.

Anyone watching the game in the first half would have thought Benfica were the favorites for the title rather than Chelsea, as the Blues were pinned to their own half by the impressive Portuguese side.

Benfica should have really scored soon after, when a brilliantly worked freekick saw Rodrigo with the perfect opportunity to strike, but the player just could not find the right shot, much to the disappointment of the Portuguese side yet again.

Juan Mata nearly played a through ball to Oscar, which would have put the Chelsea playmaker through on goal, but the ball struck a Benfica defender on its way and with it the chance was gone.

Fernando Torres was cutting an isolated figure up front as Benfica continued to dictate terms at the other end with Gaitan missing a couple of half chances.

Chelsea, though, ironically had the best chance in the first half, and it was no surprise that it came courtesy their record goalscorer Lampard.

The midfielder found space on the edge of the box and struck a sweet-as-honey shot from 20 yards, which Artur Moraes, moving the wrong way, did brilliantly to keep out.

The two sides went into the break with Benfica feeling like they should have been at least a goal up, and Chelsea relieved to still be on level terms.

The beginning of the second half was pretty much the same, with Benfica again starting brightly. Gaitan had a shot go wide, before they finally put the ball into the net only for it to be disallowed for offside.

Gaitan played in a nice cross from the right, which Cardozo headed powerfully past Petr Cech, but the linesman lifted his flag up for offside, much to Benfica's disdain - replays suggested Cardozo probably had half an arm in an offside position, it was really tight.

Benfica continued to probe, but as is the case almost all the time with Chelsea, they struck out of nowhere.

Cech threw a ball out to Mata, with the ball then finding its way to Torres, who turned past Ezequiel Garay, before holding off the challenge of Luisao. Torres still had plenty to do, but the Spaniard calmly took the ball past Artur before slotting it into an empty net in the 59th minute.

However, seven minutes later Benfica had a golden opportunity to equalize, with Cesar Azpilicueta penalized by referee Bjorn Kuipers for a handball inside the box.

Cardozo stepped up to take the spotkick and calmly powered it into the back of the net, sending Cech the wrong way.

Chelsea had a claim for a penalty turned down at the other end, with Torres going down while trying to spin away from Luisao inside the box.

Cardozo nearly got his second of the game soon after, but his left-footed strike on the half-volley from 20 yards was well kept out by Cech.

Benfica kept looking for the winner, but it was Chelsea and that man Lampard again that created the biggest opening.

Lampard with a little space outside the box, struck a thunderous drive from 25 yards, which unfortunately crashed off the crossbar.

Just when it looked like the game was headed for extra time, Chelsea, as is their wont, found the winner.

A corner from the right was swung in towards the far post, which Ivanovic did brilliantly to head into the top corner as Chelsea wrapped up their second straight European title in dramatic fashion.

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