Europa League Final: Chelsea vs. Benfica – Five talking points
Chelsea are once again the champions of Europe after Branislav Ivanovic scored deep into stoppage time to give the Blues a 2-1 win over Benfica in the Europa League final. With that impressive win, Chelsea are the first team in history, to hold both the European Trophies at the same time.
Here are the five talking points from last night’s thrilling encounter:
1. Rafa Benitez bows out with his head held high
Chelsea supporters never liked Rafael Benitez, but after this triumph, they should at least respect his achievements with the club. He has completed all the targets he was set by Chelsea board when appointed i.e. securing the UEFA Champions League spot and winning a trophy. For a manager of his stature to live with the tag of “interim manager” was not easy, but the thorough professional he is, he swallowed that bitter pill. There is an image of him in English media about being arrogant and self-obsessed, wrongly sketched because of his time with Liverpool. Yet, on his return to England, he has demonstrated admirable restraint in the face of hostility from the Stamford Bridge faithful. He has also handled the John Terry and Frank Lampard issue front on. So for all his achievements at the Stamford Bridge, he should get the respect that he deserves. For next season, though, it’s not yet done deal that Jose Mourinho will be back at the Bridge, so the question still persists – will Chelsea swallow the bitter pill and give Benitez an extension?
2. Cardozo is ready for a step-up
Oscar Cardozo, the Benfica hit-man, seems ready for a big leap in his career; with several European giants eyeing him,he duly lived up to the all the hype. He was influential throughout the whole campaign for Benfica, and with seven Europa league goals, is the top scorer for them. It will become increasingly difficult for Benfica to hold on to him, just like it was difficult to hold on to the likes of Angel Di Maria, Ramires and David Luiz.
3. Chelsea have got the player who can fill John Terry’s shoes
It was an ankle injury that ruled John Terry out of this match, but there was general perception that the Chelsea captain would not have started in any case. A man who once was central to every Chelsea game has become more peripheral this season, partly due to injury, partly due to the loss of form, but mainly due to the form of those competing for his place, in particular Gary Cahill. This was the Cahill’s 45th match of the season and once again he put on a stellar performance that highlights him as an influential member of Chelsea’s backline, with a superb interception as Oscar Cardozo, who almost equalised for a second time late. Come next season, Terry may find it extremely hard to regain his place, with Branislav Ivanovic and Cahill forming an impressive partnership.
4. Right time for Fernando Torres to leave Chelsea
In the first-half, performance by Chelsea was timid, given this was their 68th game of a long and taxing campaign. Fernando Torres put in a performance full of commitment and endeavour, two qualities that allowed him to score this game’s opening goal on 59 minutes. The goal was Torres’ 22nd of the season, in all competitions and, arguably, one of the most crucial he has scored for the London club. His time at Stamford Bridge has been difficult and there exists the strong possibility that whoever is in charge of Chelsea next season, may want to off-load the 29-year-old, even if that means the club take a huge loss on the £50m investment they made on him a little over two years ago. After this game, however, Torres’ options in regards to fresh employers may just have increased.
5. Champions League dropouts adds value to Europa league
There has been a lot of criticism about the teams that fail in Champions League given another go at European glory via the Europa league. Interestingly, both the teams involved in the final yesterday were effectively the dropouts from Europe’s elite tournament. It gives high-quality teams like Benfica their share of a glory by reaching out to a global audience. It was better chance of competing in major finals and, in turn, viewers from countries like India who normally don’t have chance to see high-quality talents such as Ezequiel Garay, Nicolas Gaitan, Eduardo Salvio and Oscar Cardozo perform on the big stage.