Game 7 - Benfica are Champions Of Europe!

Iain Gardiner's Benfica lifted the Champions League in game 7 this week, beating Billy Black's Chelsea 2-1 in a gripping final.  Benfica were probably the stand out team in a well fought game 7 season, and fans will be no doubt disappointed to lose their manager who is rumoured to be moving to Old Trafford before the Super Cup games take place next turn.  Their trophy haul included the Serie A title but they were defeated 2-1 by Mark Watters' Inter Milan in the League Cup final.  Unmanaged Chievo won the FA Cup, beating Toulouse 1-0 in the final.  Benfica were totally dominant in Serie A, they had a 10 point lead by the half way point of the season and finished up winning the league by 15 points, on 54 pts with second placed Inter on 39.  Barcelona were third with 36 points with Atletico Madrid trailing in fourth on 29.  Joe Spencer's Liverpool led for pretty much the whole season in the British Premier division, holding a four point lead over Billy Black's Chelsea as early as week 4 (Chelsea drew their week 3 and 4 games, Liverpool won theirs) and maintained this gap throughout the season.  The two drew 0-0 at Stamford Bridge in week 5, and then again in week 15; the gap still four points.  Liverpool slipped up in week 16 and 17, and suddenly the gap was down to just a point - with G.McNaughton's Celtic also in the hunt - but successive defeats to Aston Villa and Everton left  Chelsea too much to do, and they eventually finished 7 points behind.  Liverpool win the league on 49 points, Chelsea second on 42, Celtic on 41 and David De Freitas' Newcastle closing in to finish on 40 in fourth place.   The FA Cup final saw the top two do battle - and Liverpool take the double with a 3-2 victory over Chelsea.  This was revenge for the League Cup final a few weeks earlier where the two met again, Chelsea beating Liverpool 2-1 in that one.  Celtic lost the Super Cup final - to Liverpool again, 3-1 the final score, but G.McNaughton's side won the UEFA Cup though, beating Valencia 3-1 in the final.