1961: Peñarol overcome Eusébio's Benfica
Tuesday 19 September 1961
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Eusébio's goal in the play-off was not enough for Benfica (©Getty Images)
SL Benfica 1-0 CA Peñarol
CA Peñarol 5-0 SL Benfica
Teams level on two points after two legs
CA Peñarol 2-1 SL Benfica
Peñarol win after a play-off
With the European/South American Cup still being decided on points rather than aggregate score, it took three games for CA Peñarol to overcome SL Benfica with the decider played at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo just two days after the Uruguayan side had overwhelmed their Portuguese opponents 5-0 at the same venue.
Level on points
Kings of Europe after beating FC Barcelona 3-2 in the 1960/61 European Champion Clubs' Cup final, Benfica won the home leg of the tie against their South American counterparts 2-1, with a goal from Mario Coluna – scorer of the winner against Barcelona – giving his side two points in Lisbon. That advantage was wiped out in Montevideo with a José Francisco Sasía penalty, two goals from Juan Víctor Joya and another from Alberto Spencer making it 4-0 to Peñarol before half-time. Spencer scored again after the break to complete an emphatic victory.
Eusébio arrives
Thus, while Peñarol had a 5-1 aggregate advantage, a play-off was required to settle the tie. Sasía put Peñarol ahead in the sixth minute, but Eusébio – who had been flown out especially for the game – responded with a cracking long-range strike after 35 minutes. However, Sasía scored what proved to be the decisive blow with a penalty four minutes before the break as Peñarol made up for their disappointment in 1960 by becoming the first South American side to win the competition.
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