Eventually, it took Busby ten years to build a team that could reach the final. It was on 29 May 1968 at Wembley, a little over ten years from the painful Munich disaster, Manchester United led by Bobby Charlton, stepped out with a burning desire to win the trophy for the Busby Babes.

The 1968 European Cup Final was the final match of the 1967–68 European Cup, the premier club football competition in Europe. It was played at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 29 May 1968, and contested by Benfica of Portugal and Manchester United of England in front of a crowd of 92,225. Both teams had to go through four rounds of two-legged knockout ties to reach the final; it was Benfica’s fifth European Cup final, two of which they had won, and Manchester United’s first.

Both sides went close in a goalless first half, before Manchester United took the lead from Bobby Charlton’s header eight minutes into the second; however, Jaime Graça’s 79th-minute equaliser meant the match went into extra time. Manchester United then scored three times in seven minutes in the extra period; the first was a solo goal from George Best, followed by a header from Brian Kidd on his 19th birthday. Charlton scored his second in the 99th minute, as Manchester United triumphed 4–1 to become the first English club to win the European Cup.

Add Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *