4 iconic Chelsea victories of the modern era

#3 Chelsea 1-0 Stuttgart (1998)

Gianfranco Zola - legend!

The final of the European Cup Winner's Cup in 1998 allowed a pre-Abramovich Chelsea to announce its arrival at the European table. The competition, restricted to those who had won national cup competitions was at the time, the second largest European competition.

It saw participation from nearly 50 clubs from as many countries and was an intriguing tournament. Chelsea's journey to the finals saw them face off against Slovakian and Norwegian opponents in the first two rounds before clashing with the Copa Del Rey holders, Real Betis.

After comprehensively beating the Spaniards, Chelsea set up a clash with the Coppa Italia winners - Vicenza and overcame them after some resistance.

In the Stockholm final, Chelsea took on Stuttgart. The first half was an intensely dogged one, well contested by both teams. The game was locked in stalemate and in an effort to bring about a change, assistant manager Graham Rix threw on Gianfranco Zola for Tore Andre Flo in the 71st minute.

The diminutive Italian had an immediate impact on the game. He picked up an accurate and well-played pass from captain Dennis Wise and half-volleyed the ball into the top right corner. Despite an undisciplined end to the match, the Blues held on for a famous win, one that helped established the club on the European stage.