1984/85: Madrid awake from European slumber

Videoton FC 0-3 Real Madrid CF
(Míchel 31, Santillana 77, Valdano 89)
Real Madrid CF 0-1 Videoton FC
(Májer 86)
(agg 3-1 to Madrid)

A sleeping giant stirred in 1985, when Real Madrid CF lifted the UEFA Cup, their first European trophy in 19 years. Reviving them was the injection of young talent known as the 'Quinta del Buitre' - five homegrown players including Emilio Butragueño, Miguel 'Míchel' González, Rafael Martín Vázquez, Miguel Pardeza and Manuel Sanchís. Together they embarked on a remarkable run.

Apart from the quarter-final, when they ended holders Tottenham Hotspur FC's unbeaten home record in Europe, Madrid's game plan was simple if cavalier in the extreme: they lost all their away ties and won all the home ones. In the second round, they overturned a 3-1 defeat at HNK Rijeka to go through 4-3 on aggregate; in the third, they followed a 3-0 loss at RSC Anderlecht with a 6-1 thrashing of the Belgian side at the Santiago Bernabéu; while in the semi-finals they trailed FC Internazionale Milano 2-0 only to prevail 3-2 on aggregate.

But then this was the year FK Partizan recovered from a 6-2 mauling at Queens Park Rangers FC to win through on away goals. Facing them in the final were Videoton FC. Hungarian football had also had a wake-up call, the Szekesfehervar club being the country's first European finalist in ten seasons. They had upset Manchester United FC on penalties in the last eight before defeating another 'Iron Curtain' team, FK Željezničar, in the semi-finals. Then a strange thing happened: Madrid made it easy for themselves, winning the first leg at Videoton 3-0 with goals from Míchel, Carlos Santillana and Jorge Valdano. So a fireworks party was planned for the return leg, which not even Lajos Májer's solitary strike for the Magyars could dampen.