Europa League Final: Benfica 1-2 Chelsea

Chelsea have triumphed in the Europa League final over Portugese side Benfica in a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Branislav Ivanovic and Spanish striker Fernando Torres. Ivanovic won the game in dramatic fashion with an injury time header after Oscar Cardozo had equalized from the penalty spot. This made up for the Serbian defender having missed the Blues' Champions League success last year. It was heartbreak for Benfica, however, who made it 7 European finals without a win.Chelsea were weakened by the absence of midfield talisman Eden Hazard and captain John Terry, but brought in quality replacements in the from of Juan Mata and midfielder Ramires.On a personal level, manager Rafael Benitez was delighted by the team's success, making it three Europa Cup victories for the combative Spaniard. As a club, Chelsea joined giants Bayern, Juventus and Ajax in winning all three major European trophies, an impressive achievement.See how the Blues fare next year. Buy Chelsea tickets or tickets for the Community Shield, and purchase Champions League Final tickets today.Benitez paid tribute to his players saying that they put in "a great performance in the second half, against a very good team. I'm really pleased for the players and everyone involved." Midfielder Lampard noted that "We're a group, a team, and it was tight tonight after the long season we've had."