The Santiago Bernabéu provided a glorious backdrop for the second European Champion Clubs’ Cup final as Real Madrid defended their crown on home soil. Recent renovations had increased the stadium’s capacity to around 125,000 and also introduced a state-of-the-art lighting system – but Italian champions Fiorentina preferred the game to be played in daylight, a decision that contributed to a disjointed performance from the hosts.

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“It was the height of summer in Madrid and we played under a very strong sun which really burnt us,” star forward Alfredo Di Stéfano recalled later, though he credited the Viola for their part in a tough encounter. “Fiorentina were great champions with a fantastic team who had a very strong defensive system, like most of the Italian sides. We stayed solid but we had a really hard time trying to break down that defence.”

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Eventually, their pressure told – and it was Di Stéfano himself who opened the scoring on 69 minutes, converting from the penalty spot following a foul on Enrique Mateos. Shortly afterwards, Raymond Kopa sent Francisco Gento clear to fire beyond Giuliano Sarti and secure the second of Madrid’s five continental titles in five years.