A 93rd-minute header from Branislav Ivanovic gave Chelsea a stunning 2-1 victory over Benfica in the Europa League final on Wednesday as the London club claimed the trophy for the first time in heart-stopping fashion.

The game in Amsterdam seemed destined for extra time after Fernando Torres' superb 60th-minute opener for Chelsea was canceled out by an Oscar Cardozo penalty, only for Ivanovic to net a dramatic winner with a looping header in stoppage time.

Chelsea became the first team to simultaneously hold the Champions League and Europa League titles.

They will relinquish their Champions League crown in the next week, but more lasting is the statistic that they are only the fourth club to have claimed Europe's three major trophies - including the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup - after Ajax, Bayern Munich and Juventus.

The manner of defeat was cruel on Benfica and means that Benfica have now lost seven consecutive European finals since claiming their last major continental crown in 1962.

Benfica's previous game was a damaging 2-1 loss to Porto that may have ended their Portuguese title hopes, but they banished any fears about their mental state with an assured start to the game that bordered on insouciance at times.

Indeed, so authoritative were Benfica, and so lackluster Chelsea, that only an apparent inability to shoot at the appropriate moment prevented Benfica from taking the lead before halftime.

Chelsea did not test Benfica goalkeeper Artur until Oscar put an effort straight at him in the 27th minute, although the Brazilian was almost deceived by a swerving Frank Lampard shot that Artur palmed over the bar in unorthodox fashion 7 minutes before halftime.

Petr Cech's long throw down the center was helped on by Juan Mata and Torres showed superb strength and composure to hold off Luisao and then round Artur, delaying his shot to send the keeper down before rolling the ball home.

It was a Chelsea smash-and-grab goal plucked straight from last season's Champions League textbook, but the lead was to last only 8 minutes.

Cesar Azpilicueta handled Eduardo Salvio's header just inside the Chelsea penalty area and Cardozo drilled his spot kick into the middle of the goal to claim his seventh goal in this season's competition.

Cech had to produce a fingertip save to prevent a half-volleyed lob by Cardozo from dipping beneath the crossbar, before Lampard almost gave the game a fairy-tale late finish with a 25-yard pile driver that hit the bar.

Extra time seemed certain when the fourth official raised the board showing 3 minutes of injury time, only for Ivanovic to send a header arcing over Artur from Mata's corner and break Benfica's hearts.

AFP - Global Times