Chelsea’s GREATEST European nights – Blues leave Arsenal, Liverpool and Barca in their wake

From thrashing Roma at Stamford Bridge in 1965 where Terry Venables scored a marvellous hat-trick to coming back from a 2-0 first leg deficit against Bruges in 1971, Chelsea have had some magical nights in European competition and will want to add victory over Bayern to the list. Here are some of our favourite Blues matches from recent years.

CHELSEA SEND BARCA CRASHING
Thanks to John Terry, Chelsea powered past Barcelona in this 2005 classic Champions League clash. Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Spain - infamous for the furore that surrounded referee Anders Frisk - Chelsea were 3-0 in front at Stamford Bridge after 19 minutes. A penalty and a moment of magic from Ronaldinho pegged the Blues back, but Terry set them up for a quarter final match up against Bayern, which they won, before being knocked out by Liverpool in the last four.

BRIDGE SINKS ARSENAL'S 'INVINCIBLES'
Chelsea had not beaten their London rivals in 15 attempts and they left it late in 2004 to end the Gunners' unbeaten run at Highbury in this Champions League quarter final. Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Jose Reyes put the home side in front, but Frank Lampard equalised shortly after the restart. With five minutes remaining, Ashley Cole's goal-line clearance saved the Blues, before Wayne Bridge bagged the winner two minutes later to knock out Arsenal's so-called 'Invincibles'.

CHELSEA BEAT GERMANS OPPOSITION TO BECOME CHAMPIONS
It took 70 minutes to break the deadlock in the 1998 Cup Winners' Cup final, and Stuttgart had looked the most likely to do so. Chelsea fans were happy to wait, however, when substitute Gianfranco Zola come on and wasted little time in rifling a shot into the top corner. It was the only goal of the game and despite being reduced to 10 men when Dan Petrescu was given his marching order with five minutes remaining, the Blues managed to hold on to claim a famous victory.

THE FIRST ENGLISH SIDE TO WIN AT THE MESTALLA
Michael Essien's injury time strike against Valencia in 2007 helped Chelsea progress to their third Champions League semi final in four years despite looking to be heading out after the 1-1 first leg draw at Stamford Bridge. Fernando Morientes put the Spanish side ahead, but Andriy Shevchenko and Essien scored to give Chelsea a 2-1 win and the lead for the first time in the tie, while victory also meant the Blues were the first English side to win at the Mestalla Stadium.

IVANOVIC COMPLETES CHELSEA COMEBACK
Trailing 3-1 after Napoli made light work of Andre Villas-Boas' Chelsea in Naples in February, the Blues, now with caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo at the helm, thumped the Italians 4-1 to complete a superb comeback at Stamford Bridge in March. Didier Drogba, John Terry, a Frank Lampard penalty and an extra time winner from Branislav Ivanovic set up a 2012 Champions League quarter final meeting with Benfica.

LAMPARD HAILS ONE OF HIS 'FINEST NIGHTS IN A CHELSEA SHIRT'
Having overcome Benfica in the quarter final, Chelsea recorded a 1-0 semi final first leg win over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, which was considered a great result for the Blues, though no one gave them a hope in the second leg at the Nou Camp. Despite losing captain John Terry in the first half following his dismissal and the Catalans going two goals ahead, Chelsea triumphed 3-2 on aggregate thanks to Ramires and Fernando Torres, with Frank Lampard saying: "It's the greatest at Chelsea that I've been involved in and probably ever. I know it's not a final, I know there's no medals on the table yet. But, as a one-off, it's absolutely huge." In Terry's absence, the midfielder will captain the side in the Champions League final against Bayern.

LAMPARD SCORES EMOTIONAL PENALTY AS CHELSEA REACH THE FINAL
Liverpool had prevented Chelsea from reaching the Champions League finals on two occasions before their 2008 meeting, once in 2005 and the other in 2007, but this time the Blues swept them aside to finally claim a place in the competition's showpiece event. With the match finishing 1-1 after 90 minutes, Frank Lampard, playing less than week after his mother's death, restored the lead from the spot. Didier Drogba added another and despite Ryan Babel's long range rocket making it 3-2, Chelsea held on and went through with a 4-3 aggregate win.

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