Benfica end Madrid's golden age

The European Champion Clubs' Cup had new winners in the shape of SL Benfica, as Real Madrid CF's five-year monopoly on the new competition was ended by FC Barcelona.

But the Catalan club's hopes of succeeding their arch-rivals as continental champions was ended by Benfica, who as Madrid did in three of their triumphs, came from behind to win.

Indeed, it was Barcelona that made the early running in Berne, and on 20 minutes they took the lead, Sándor Kocsis diving past his markers to connect with a Martín Vergés cross. Koscis went close again soon afterwards with a header, but defender Mário João cleared off the line.

On the half-hour, though, began a two-minute spell that turned the match. First Joaquim Santana found left winger Domiciano Cavém unmarked, who jinked into the box and delivered a low shot. Enrique Gensana could only half-clear, and José Águas pounced to tap in.

The celebrations had barely ended when Gensana and Santana challenged in the air, but the Barça defender inadvertently diverted the ball onto the crossbar and off goalkeeper Antoni Ramallets for a bizarre own goal – the first ever in a European Cup final.

Barcelona pushed forward for the rest of the half, but to no avail. And ten minutes after the break Benfica struck again. Then Mário Coluna played the ball to Cavém and after a cross, the ball was cleared back to Coluna. His thunderous first-time shot gave Barcelona captain Ramallets little chance.

Fifteen minutes from time, another of Barcelona's Hungarian's – Zoltán Czibor, who struck in his nation's 1954 FIFA World Cup final defeat by the Federal Republic of Germany when he played alongside Kocsis – scored in similarly emphatic style to Coluna. Now the game was wide open again.

But try as they might, Barcelona could not breach Benfica's rearguard again. The European Cup was to be taken to a new country – and Barcelona's dreams of adding this trophy to their honours from victories in the first two Inter-Cities Fairs Cup were over.