Drogba’s heroics, Barca stunned: Chelsea’s 12 best European games

With the favorable draw of the Chelsea conference league, the Blues are now clear favorites to win the competition.

The Enzo Maresca team will defend a 2-1 lead in the first leg against FC Copenhagen in the last 16, while they will play Molde or Legia Warsaw if they manufactured the quarter-finals.

One of the Boracs, Rapid Vienne, Pafos or Djurgarden will be their opponents in the semi-finals, with a confrontation against Fiorentina or the real Betis potentially in front of them during the final, which was held in the Polish city of Wroclaw.

It may not be the Champions League, but Maresca will want to finish its first season with a trophy in the cabinet before the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

At the time of writing the editorial staff, the Stamford Bridge team occupies fifth place in the Premier League table, just one point behind Manchester City in fourth place.

If they are embarking on a solid race from here in May and May, they could get a place in the Champions League for next season. Some of the most beautiful evenings in the club came in the competition over the years, when they liked to play on the continent in other competitions.

Here we have taken a look at some of the best European games in the history of the club.

12

Chelsea 2-1 Benfica

Europa League final (2012/13)

Chelsea entered the 2012/13 season as holders of the Champions League. However, they could not finish third in group stadiums, landing in the direct elimination towers of the Europa League.

Rafa Benitez had replaced Roberto Di Matteo as a manager and led the blues to win on Sparta Prague, Steaua Bucharest, Rubin Kazan and Basel to reach the final.

Equality was finely ready for 1-1 before Branislav Ivanovic marked a late winner during the injury that saw Chelsea claim their first crown of the Europa League.

11

Chelsea 3-1 Barcelona

Fixed final in the quarterfinals of the Champions League (1999/00)

The Chelsea Champions Youth campaign was certainly impressive. Two draws against Milan, a superb 5-0 victory over Galatasaray and a victory over Hertha Berlin ensured his transition to the second group phase.

There, they saw the challenges of Feyenoord and Marseille to book a quarter -final with Barcelona.

The Barcelona team, despite the presence of Rivaldo and Luís Figo, was breathtaking out of the water in western London, with goals from Gianfranco Zola and two efforts by Andre Flo. Figo fell a crucial goal outside while the Catalan giants won the more return match, but it was still an amazing victory at the bridge.

10

Chelsea 4-1 Arsenal

Europa League final (2018/19)

Six years after winning Europe’s secondary competition for the first time, Chelsea did the final again, this time playing in London Rivals Arsenal.

Maurizio Sarri had endured a difficult season at the club, but his team separated the Gunners in Baku, claim a wonderful 4-1 victory.

Two goals from Eden Hazard and one of each of Pedro and Olivier Giroud meant that it was a fairly simple victory, with the additional pleasure of knowing that the Gunners missed football of the Champions League the following season.

9

Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea

2nd stage of the Champions League quarter -final (2003/04)

Arsenal went for an undefeated Premier League season, while the Champions League was undoubtedly the best chance that the Blues won the silverware as they dragged the League Gunners.

They had lost against the Gunners in FA Cup two months ago, while the North Londoners had won the two 2-1 championship games. The chances were stacked against the Claudio Ranieri team.

A 1-1 draw in Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their quarter-final meant that Arsenal had the advantage. Jose Antonio Reyes put the local team before half-time, but Chelsea retreded, marking twice in the second half to guarantee a superb triumph. Wayne Bridge’s late strike will live in memory for a long time.

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8

Stuttgart 0-1 Chelsea

Final of the Winners of the UEFA Cup (1997/98)

The triumph of the Chelsea FA Cup in 1997 made sure they qualified for the Winners’ Cup Cup for the 1997/98 season.

The victories on Slovan Bratislava, Tromso, Real Betis and Vicenza set up a final against Stuttgart in Sweden. The Blues won the 1-0 match thanks to a goal from Zola, guaranteeing only their second European trophy.

7

Chelsea 4-1 Napoli

The Champions League Last-16 2nd stage (2011/12)

After a hot start to the season under Andre Villas-Boas, Chelsea was far from the pace. European football was a welcome distraction because they qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League as a group winners.

However, they suffered a 3-1 defeat against Napoli during the first stage of their last confrontation. At the time of the return match, Villas-Boas had been dismissed and Roberto Di Matteo was in charge.

The goals of Didier Drogba and John Terry leveled the link on the aggregates before a goal on each side does not send the tie to more time. Ivanovic scored to send the club to the quarter -final.

6

Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool

Semi-final of the 2nd stage Champions League (2007/08)

Liverpool prevailed on Chelsea in the previous two semi-finals of the Champions League contested in 2005 and 2007, but 2008 was different.

A 1-1 draw in Anfield noted that Chelsea had a thin advantage before the second stage. Another 1-1 draw sent the tie to more time, where Frank Lampard and Drogba marked to put the club on the edge of the final.

Ryan Babel marked a late consolation, but the blues hung on to reach the Champions League final for the first time.

5

Chelsea 4-2 Barcelona

The Champions League in the last 16th stage (2004/05)

Jose Mourinho was exactly the Roman manager Abramovich needed to pass Chelsea to the upper level. He would lead the club to a double of the Premier League and the League Cup during his first season, although European glory escaped them.

During the first round in 2004/05, the Blues were 2-1 of the first stage against Barcelona, ​​but during an incredible night of drama, they ran in an advance of 3-0 after only 19 minutes.

Ronaldinho marked a penalty before compensating for a scandalous point of the toes outside the box to further reduce the arrears. Terry saved the day by giving a corner header to send Chelsea to the house in the quarter-finals.

4

Chelsea 2-1 Real Madrid

Final of the Cup of the European Cup winners (1970/71)

The first European trophy in Chelsea was won in 1971. The club beat Leeds United during the FA Cup final in 1970 to secure its place in the Cup winners.

They reached the semi-finals thanks to the victories on Aris Thessaloniki, CSKA Sofia and Club Brugge. Manchester City was waiting in the semi-finals, where two 1-0 victories led them to the final against Real Madrid.

Madrid had won six European cups and was clear to win. A 1-1 draw meant that the final went to Replay in Athens, where John Dempsey’s first half goals and Peter Osgood are firmly controlled the blues.

The real marked with 15 minutes to play, but Chelsea was held to win her first large European trophy. They did not know that it would be 27 years before the next one.

3

Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea

Semi-final of the 2nd stage Champions League (2011/12)

This will be part of one of the most beautiful nights in the history of the club. After winning a superb 1-0 victory in the first leg against the Holders of Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, they went to Camp Nou with an advance to defend themselves.

Sergio Busquets leveled equality before John Terry was sent. When Andrés Iniesta was 2-0, all hope appeared lost.

Ramires then put the blues on the goals outside with a glorious chip, and Chelsea somehow survived a strong assault while Barça besieged their objective – with Lionel Messi even missing a penalty.

Their place in the final was secured by a wonderful solo goal by Fernando Torres, who bypassed Victor Valdes to win a miraculous victory. We all know what happened next.

2

Man City 0-1 Chelsea

Champions League final (2020/21)

The second title of the Chelsea Champions League occurred during the 2020/21 campaign. Thomas Tuchel had taken over from Frank Lampard In January 2021, and the rest of the season was supposed to see the German settled before the 2021/22 campaign.

Atlético Madrid, Porto and Real Madrid were all defeated on the road to the Porto final, where the club would face Man City.

He was to be the coronation of Pep Guardiola in City, but a goal from Kai Havertz just before half-time was enough to see the Stamford Bridge team asserting its second title of the Champions League.

1

Bayern Munich 1-1 Chelsea (3-4 on penalties)

Champions League final (2011/12)

There is no doubt that the 2012 Champions League final is the largest night, European or other, in the history of the Chelsea Football Club.

Entering the match like massive outsiders against a team from Bayern Munich who played not only in their home stadium, but a team that had sent Real Madrid packaging to the semi-finals.

Bayern marked in the last stages of normal time graceful of Thomas Müller, but Didier Drogba managed to score from a corner to take the match for more time.

Petr Cech saved the day for the blues. Not only has he saved an Arjen Robben penalty in more time, but the Czech star prevented two other Bayern efforts during the penalty shootout, which Chelsea won 4-3.

Although John Terry was suspended following his dispatch against Barcelona, ​​the Blues had obtained their greatest triumph, nine years after Abramovich took over the club.

A victory in the league of the conference this season means that Chelsea would become the first team to win the Champions League, the Europa League, the Cup of the Cup winners and the Conference League.

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