1978/79: Barcelona win seven-goal thriller

FC Barcelona 4-3 Fortuna Düsseldorf (aet)
St-Jakob Park, Basle

FC Barcelona put a Spanish name on the trophy for the first time in 17 years, beating Fortuna Düsseldorf in a magnificent final. With Johan Neeskens’ midfield aggression and with Juan Manuel Asensi and Carles Rexach offering creative support to Austrian striker Hans Krankl, Barcelona were a formidable outfit.

Acid test
Their acid test came against the defending champions, RSC Anderlechtois, in the second round. After losing 3-0 in Brussels, they won 3-0 at home and triumphed in the penalty shoot-out. They reached the final with a double 1-0 against SK Beveren, conquerors of Internazionale FC in the quarter-finals.

Easy passage
Fortuna Düsseldorf had an easier run to the final, though they needed the away-goals rule to dispatch Servette FC. They had a potent front line where the Allofs brothers, Thomas and Klaus, teamed up with tricky winger Wolfgang Seel. Even so, they travelled to Basle as underdogs.

Fitting finale
The final soon caught fire. José Vicente Sánchez put Barcelona ahead after five minutes only for Klaus Allofs to reply three minutes later. Asensi restored the Catalans’ lead just after the half-hour, but Seel made it 2-2 four minutes before the break. No goals were scored in the second half, but thoughts of a drab, fear-ridden extra-time soon vanished. Rexach sent the Catalan fans wild with a goal after 104 minutes and Krankl seemed to have delivered the coup de grâce when he made it 4-2 . But, back came the Germans with a 114th-minute goal by Seel which had Barcelona hanging on for the final whistle.