When thinking back to past meetings between Benfica and FC Barcelona, fans with longer memories will recall the European Cup final in Berne. A unfortunate chapter in the blaugranes’ history in Europe, and one of the many games between the two sides set to meet on 21 January at the Estádio da Luz that could have proved a turning point.
What would have happened if Barça hadn’t hit the woodwork in that European Cup final in 1961? Obviously there would be another European trophy in the blaugrana cabinet. That’s not the only time a game against the side from Lisbon could have seen blaugrana fortunes change, however. We take a look at three notable past fixtures.
Square goals at Berne
On 31 May 1961, FC Barcelona proverbially fell into the abyss at the Stadion Wankdorf in Berne against Benfica. It was the European Cup final and the blaugranes had got there after eliminating Real Madrid. The joy continued when Sandor Kocsis scored not long after kick-off. There were few signs of a Barça defeat on the horizon.
Antoni Ramallets was the first to fall to misfortune that Wednesday in 1961. The blaugranes’ excellent keeper was involved when in the blink of an eye the score went from 0-1 to 2-1 to the Portuguese side. First he incorrectly calculated when coming out of goal and then the sun prevented him from being able to block the ball properly. The first signs of bad luck for the blaugranes against the eagles that fateful day.
If it has been a boxing contest, FC Barcelona would have won the final comfortably on points. Enrique Orizaola’s side had enough chances to score another both before and after the 2-1 up to the 3-2 final score. Unbelievably they hit the woodwork four times. The goalposts were square at the time and one can only wonder what would have happened if they were round, maybe the Barça side of Ramallets, Kubala, Luis Suárez, Kocsis and Czibor would have been crowned European champions.
As such, the Benfica side managed by Béla Guttmann took FC Barcelona’s first chance of a European trophy away and won their own first European Cup. The relentless Lisbon team repeated the feat the following year, which was the last time the eagles won the European Cup. Legend has it that the Hungarian coach stated that Benfica wouldn’t ever win it again after a dispute about wages that led to him being fired in 1962, and to date they haven’t.
The first step towards Wembley 1992
31 years and six meetings down the line – including five friendlies – FC Barcelona and Benfica met again in the European Cup. The curse continued for the Portuguese, as the Dream Team defeated the side from Lisbon to take a first important step towards winning the first European Cup for the blaugranes.
On 15 April 1992, the excellent group of players featuring the likes of Zubizarreta, Koeman, Laudrup, Amor, Bakero, Guardiola and Stoichkov defeated Benfica 2-1 in the final group stage game in Europe. Stoichkov and Bakero scored the goals that classified Barça for the 1992 final at Wembley.
What would have happened if the side coached by Johan Cruyff wouldn’t have encountered the Lisbon outfit in the group stage in 1991/92? Who knows? But the rest is history and months later Barça wrote the first chapter in the love story with Europe at Wembley, thanks to the Dream Team, who themselves may not have been lauded so much and earned their place in the history books without defeating Benfica. FC Barcelona had won their first European Cup.
Relegated to the Europa League
On 23 November 2021, a curling shot by former blaugrana Yusuf Demir could have again changed FC Barcelona’s history in Europe. However, the vital penultimate game in the Champions League 2021/22 group stage between the Catalans and the Portuguese ended in a draw as the young Turkish player’s shot hit the bar. A 0-0 that went on to contribute to the blaugranes playing in the Europa League.
Clearly it wasn’t the debut Xavi would have wanted in the Champions League as the blaugrana coach. What would have happened if that quality strike by Demir had gone into the net at the Spotify Camp Nou? Barça likely wouldn’t have been relegated to the Europa League some 18 years since the previous time they appeared in the second tier European club competition.
That was the final chapter in games between Barça and Benfica that could have seen things turn out very differently. The last occasion for the sides who are set to face each other in this latest edition of the Champions League. Who knows what will happen and whether it will go down as yet another timeless clash between the Catalan and Portuguese clubs.
