Chelsea and Benfica have only faced each other three times in competitive matches, but each encounter has created memorable moments for fans, both positive and negative, depending on their allegiance. Since Chelsea won all their meetings, these matches are celebrated by the London club’s fans, as victories in this fixture brought them closer to European success each time. Not so much for the Eagles, who came close on each occasion to create history by producing encouraging performances, but fell short disappointingly each time. All of the battles have been played in European competition, with a fourth one set to be played outside Europe for the first time in the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup in 2025.
Benfica 0-1 Chelsea - Champions League Quarter Final 1st Leg (27 March 2012)
The first-ever competitive meeting between the two sides came in the 2011-12 Champions League season at the quarter-final stage. Chelsea were struggling massively that season, but were reviving under their caretaker boss Roberto di Matteo, who oversaw a comeback win against Napoli in the previous round. However, their defence was shaky with a doubt about whether it would stay intact in front of a hostile home support in Portugal. Moreover, Benfica were looking to enter the last four of the competition for the first time since 1989/90, so there was plenty on the line for both sides. The match was played in front of a 65,000-strong attendance in Lisbon, and neither side could afford a disappointment that would be a crushing blow to their progress in the competition. Especially for the home side, who looked eye-to-eye at the Premier League giants, yet they were not expecting a surprise set-up from the opposition.
Di Matteo made some interesting changes for Chelsea, dropping the heroes of the last game, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba and fielding players who had experience playing in the Portuguese league and could adjust to the atmosphere in the stadium. The changes paid off as the visitors showed strong resistance to the home side’s attack, shaking off their criticism in defence, with former player David Luiz clearing an effort off the line and staying like a rock to other chances created. Meanwhile, Juan Mata got the best chance of the match when he rounded off the keeper only to hit the upright, but the Blues’ pressure eventually paid off. With just 15 minutes left on the clock, Fernando Torres, who has been lively throughout the game, made a dashing run on the right by escaping his marker and feeding Salomon Kalou with a deft pass to score the only goal of the game for a great advantage to carry back at home in their first away win in the competition that season and also put the West London club a bit closer to the semifinals.
Chelsea 2-1 Benfica - Champions League Quarter Final 2nd Leg (5 April 2012)
The second leg at Stamford Bridge was engrossing to say the least, with an intense and end-to-end encounter played between the sides. Lampard was reintroduced into the starting eleven and he was the centre-point of the first highlight of the point as he dispatched a 21st-minute penalty following a foul on left-back Ashley Cole in the box by Javi Garcia. A significant lead for the home side, who were licking their lips when Maxi Pereira received his second yellow card for a rough tackle just five minutes before the half-time. Yet the 10-man Benfica were the better side for most periods, especially in the second half.
Oscar Cardozo drew out a spectacular save from Petr Cech early in the second half, testing the Czech keeper for the first time instead of repeated unnecessary attempts to catch him off his line from a long way out. However, it was the second-half substitute Yannick Djalo who created the best of the chances, testing and also going close with his other chances. Chelsea was not watching the show, but was very much part of it when Kalou, the winning goal-scorer from the first leg, wiggled through the box and placed the ball on a platter for onrushing Ramires, who somehow missed from close range with the goal gaping. John Obi Mikel then found his shot trickle to the wrong side of the post after a mix-up with Juan Mata, whose earlier acrobatic effort was saved by Benfica’s number one, Arthur.
The visitor’s repeated attacking stance paid off when Garcia made amends for his penalty mistake to get his header past Cech unmarked from a corner in the 85th minute, setting up a dramatic finale. Chelsea remained dogged in their defensive work and found the defining moment when a late Benfica free-kick was cleared off to substitute Raul Meireles, the ex-Porto man who downed their rivals by dashing onto the other end of the pitch and rifling the winner to help the Blues progress 3-1 on aggregate. This was one of the crucial victories registered by Di Matteo’s men, who went on to lift a historic Champions League title against all odds.
Benfica 1-2 Chelsea - Europa League Final (16 May 2013)
Only a year after an action-packed double-legged quarterfinal tie in the Champions League, the pair met again in a Europeaṇ final stage with the Europa League title up for grabs. Both had similar narratives, like the past meetings, going into this showpiece game, with Chelsea’s problems compounding after their first Champions League success the season before, leading to Di Matteo’s sacking, with the Blues becoming the first and only holders to be eliminated from the competition’s group stage the following season. They were at least good enough to secure a Europa League spot, which they were determined to win, after making it to the final, to return to the top-tier European club competition despite eventually securing their place domestically. Moreover, it was a challenge for interim coach Rafael Benitez to win over the fans with a European trophy win.
Meanwhile, Benfica were looking to end their 51-year wait for a European title, carrying the curse of their manager Béla Guttmann, who seemingly declared the club wouldn’t win another continental trophy for the next 100 years after he stepped down, having won back-to-back European Cups in 1962, following a dispute over a pay rise. The Eagles were desperate to break the duck as they fought another intense battle with the Blues, with Cardozo causing problems in the opposition’s defence again. The Paraguayan star had his moment to shine, but not before Chelsea managed to break the deadlock even without the injured Eden Hazard and John Terry again. Torres became a headache for the Eagles yet again, scoring against the run of play by rounding off Artur and scoring calmly from a tight angle on the hour mark.
Jorge Jesus’s team did not lie down as they equalised eight minutes later through a penalty conceded by Cesar Azpilicueta after he stuck out an arm to Eduardo Salvio's header. Cardozo converted expertly to make another tantalising end to the contest. The all-time top scorer in the Portuguese league threatened again with a venomous shot tipped over the bar by Cech at full stretch. However, just as Benfica was looking to take matters into their hands, Chelsea scored in the clutch moment of the game after Lampard struck the crossbar. With just minutes left on the clock, Branislav Ivanovic rose high and sent a looping header into the net from a corner for a dramatic winner at the Amsterdam Arena. Benfica players fell to the ground as they lost a seventh successive European final, while the Blues became the first side to win the Champions League and Europa League for back-to-back years.
