Europa League 2012/2013 » Final » Live commentary: SL Benfica - Chelsea FC 1:2

Endgame Summary:
The Blues will come away from this game thinking they are last minute expoerts at the end of european competitions. It will be a painful night for the portuguese side, as they were completely capable of playing with Chelsea and for a good part of the match the better side. Obviously the hero of the night is Branislav Ivanović, who managed to push a header into the net before the whistle was blown for the end of regulation. Benfica will regret the sloppy defensive tagging on the last corner and Óscar Cardozo will wish he could have connected with his last chance right before the final whistle. Cardozo had a great match with plenty of opportunities and will wish he had a few of them back. For the Blues Fernando Torres's excellence in the second half was a turning point for the match and his goal neutralized the advantage that Benfica had seemed to have. Now Chelsea have the distinct honor of having been the only club to win all European cups and will have defended their Champions League title of 2012 to some extent. The side from Portugal will certainly continue to grow from the painful loss and return next year as a dangerous side. Chelsea are simply waiting to get their name engraved on the trophy so they can celebrate in style. Good night football fans! What a great European League final!

Goooal for Chelsea FC, 1:2 by Branislav Ivanović
Chelsea has done it again! If anyone can remember the Champions League final of 2012 this was the exact same action! Ivanović climbs a ladder over the entire Benfica defence from the left side of the penalty box and heads the ball towards the far rightcorner. There is no chance for the keeper to save the shot as it rolls along the netting onto the ground. Benfica will be heartbroken!

Three minutes left to play.

Frank Lampard with a brilliant shot off the post! The midfielder has a bit of time about 25 meters from goal and rips a right footed shot that deflects off of the upper left corner. It was technically beautiful and there was nothing that Moraes would have been able to do against the effort. Unfortunate for Chelsea fans, they could have won it there.

Ramires makes a great run by himself into the middle of the box, he tries to cross it into the middle for his teammates but it is well deflected out of bounds by the SLB defense.

Cardozo who's finally made his way back onto the pitch with a brilliant shot! He connects with the outside of his left foot but Petr Čech is able to get his fingertips on the ball and lift it over the crossbar.

Just 11 minutes to play in regulation. Will there be a winner in 90 minutes or do both teams need more time to sort out who will raise the Europa League trophy?

Fernando Torres is brought down in the penalty area. The Chelsea fans call for a penalty but Torres will, deservingly, be ignored by the officlas. Now Ezequiel Garay is getting medical attention in the box.

What a way to answer from a team looking for their first trophy in 50 years! This match has gotten much more interesting in a blazing second half.

Penalty is given to Benfica! What a decision against the Blues. Cardoza at the spot.

Now the portuguese side are going to have to put all those brilliant chances earlier into the back of Petr Čech's net. With less than 30 minutes left, the losing team will have to hurry.

Goooal for Chelsea FC, 0:1 by Fernando Torres
This game has finally seen a goal! Ironically from one of the players who has little to say in the competition until this point. Petr Čech tosses a pass forward to Mata who flicks it on to Torres. The forward is able to outrun his opponent and beats Artur by pushing the ball to the right of a diving Artur Moreas and slicing a shot with his right foot into the wide open net. An excellent run from the striker and he is totally rewarded for it.

Oscar's run into the box is rewarded by a low, well-paced pass from Ramires, the english side see another corner headed away from danger and eventually gathered up by Moreas.

The line judge had to have amazing eyes to catch the offsides by Cardozo. He was a hair in front of the last defender so it was justly called.

Nicolás Gaitán with an effort towards goal. He doesn't hit the ball well and watches it sail wide left of the post.

A great cross by Salvio and if any of his teammates had gotten their head to it, it may have easily been a goal. The team from Lisbon have quickly reintroduced themselves to their opponents.

And there's only one minute left to be played.

Cardozo earns a corner for his side after trying to launch a header towards goal.Chelsea does well to clear the danger but they cannot gain possession from their opponents.

Frank Lampard with a beautiful effort! He manages to find some room and Moraes is unable to step to the ball properly. Fortunately his reactions are top class and his right hand deflects the ball out of bounds. Chelsea's first corner of the match comes to nothing.

This time Gaitán! He tries to curve a shot into the upper right corner from the outside of his right foot. It was was a good idea but a simpler effort may have done better for him and his team.

One has to think if Benfica continue to play this way they will be rewarded with a goal. Although the englanders have certainly improved their playing, there has been a lot of creativity on the offensive end from the portuguese.

Mata forces Artur Moraes into a deflection as he launches a shot towards the goal from a free kick near the right sideline.The english side have increased both their defensive and offensive intensity.

The portuguese fans are letting Chelsea hear it for their slow, rather uneventful style of play. Until this point, Benítez's club has looked uninspired.

Accordingly the Blues have tried to slow the tempo of the match, and it has seen them gather a bit more possession. The 2012 Champions League winners are still trying to find themselves in a match that their opponents were clearly prepared for.

Oscar (Chelsea FC) is shown a yellow card
Oscar forced to bring down a sprinting opponent to slow the Benfica break. This is truly inspiring play from the Águias!

The first real effort from Benfica! Cardozo gathers himself in the middle of the box, turns and shoots towards Petr Čech but his effort is deflected away by good defensive positioning. Benfica look the better side to this point.

Matić loses his balance and brings down Ramires near midfield. The Chelsea plazer has to be taken care for a few moments before returning to the action. Matić doesn't receive yellow because it looks as if he simply stumbled on the pitch, bringing his opponent down in the process.

Óscar Cardozo gets his head to a will delivered pass into the box but it floats innocently over Petr Čech's box. He will look to use his size to have more of those opportunities throughout.

SL Benfica starts up the action in this exciting final!

Björn Kuipers and his assistants Sander van Roekel, and Erwin Zeinstra will be responsible for officiating this final tonight in Amsterdam Arena.

The portuguese side will try to use this evening as a springboard to their Champions League journey in the coming season. The final, which will be played at Benfica's Estadio da Luz, would be a fitting place for the SL Benfica to finish their resurgence as one of the top teams in Europe. Of course the journey will be ambition, and they will have to get past a tough Chelsea team before this hope can even start, but they will be ready to reached the form the club had in the 1960s and 70s.

If Chelsea win tonight they will make history as the first club to hold both the Europa and Champions League trophies at the same time. It is enough to motivate the club, and coupled with the injury to their captain will sure to drive the Londoners. On the other hand, Benfica will be looking to make a bit of history themselves. 1962 was the last European trophy the Portuguese side were allowed to celebrate winning and they will look to break the streak tonight.

Amsterdam is sure to be rumbling tonight as the 2012 Champions League victors of Chelsea try and secure a trophy in major European competition two years in the running. Chelsea have had relatively good fortunes under trainer Rafael Benítez and with a bit of a rift growing between him and the club, it was important that Chelsea had success this season. The englanders will be returning to the Champions League in the coming season. The english side has been amazing in cup finals, winning seven of nine cups during Roman Abramovich's tenure as owner. Benfica on the other hand have lost the past six major European finals and will be trying to right the ship against a strong Chelsea team filled with veterans in Petr Cech, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard, who are used to winning in these situations.