1957–58 European Cup facts for kids
The Heysel Stadium in Brussels hosted the final.
|
|
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4 September 1957 – 28 May 1958 |
| Teams | 24 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Real Madrid (3rd title) |
| Runners-up |  Milan |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 48 |
| Goals scored | 189 (3.94 per match) |
| Attendance | 1,883,587 (39,241 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid) 10 goals |
The 1957–58 European Cup was the third season of Europe's biggest club football tournament, the European Cup. This exciting competition was won by Real Madrid, who beat Milan 3–2 in the final. Real Madrid made history by winning their third European Cup title in a row!
However, this season was also remembered for a very sad event. Eight players from the English team Manchester United died in an air disaster in Munich. This happened on their way home after a match in Belgrade. Manchester United, a team known as the "Busby Babes" because they were so young and talented, were expected to do very well. They were seen as a team that could dominate European football for many years, just like Real Madrid.
This season was special because it was the first time teams from Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and East Germany joined the competition. Also, for the first time, two teams from the same country played against each other. This happened when Sevilla played against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. Sevilla was invited to play even though they finished second in Spain, because Real Madrid had already qualified as the champions from the previous year.
Many teams made their first appearance in the European Cup this season. These included teams like Shamrock Rovers, Stade Dudelange, Wismut Karl Marx Stadt, and Ajax.
Contents
How the Tournament Worked
The European Cup was a knockout tournament. This means that if a team lost a match, they were out of the competition. Teams played two matches against each other, one at each team's home stadium. The team that scored more goals in total over both matches moved on to the next round. If the total score was a tie, sometimes a third match was played to decide the winner.
Preliminary Round Matches
The tournament started with a preliminary round. Real Madrid, as the champions from the year before, got a special pass straight to the next round. The other teams were put into groups based on their location. Some teams played in this first round, and others got a pass to the next stage.
- Vasas beat CDNA Sofia 7–3 on total goals.
- Rangers won against Saint-Étienne 4–3 on total goals.
- Red Star Belgrade had a huge win against Stade Dudelange, 14–1 on total goals.
- AGF Aarhus won 3–0 against Glenavon.
- SC Wismut Karl Marx Stadt tied 4–4 with Gwardia Warsaw. Wismut won by a coin toss after their play-off match was stopped due to a power cut!
- Sevilla beat Benfica 3–1 on total goals.
- Manchester United won against Shamrock Rovers 9–2 on total goals. In one match, Manchester United scored many goals in the second half because the Irish team, who were part-time players, got tired without a break.
- Milan tied 6–6 with Rapid Wien. Milan won a special play-off match 4–2 to move on.
First Round Matches
After the preliminary round, the winners and the teams that got a bye played in the first round.
- Real Madrid showed their strength by beating Royal Antwerp 8–1.
- Red Star Belgrade won a close match against Norrköping, 4–3.
- Ajax beat SC Wismut Karl Marx Stadt 4–1.
- Vasas won against Young Boys 3–2.
- Manchester United beat Dukla Prague 3–1.
- Sevilla continued their good run, winning 4–2 against AGF Aarhus.
- Borussia Dortmund tied 5–5 with CCA București. Borussia Dortmund won a play-off match 3–1.
- Milan had a big win against Rangers, 6–1.
Quarter-finals: Exciting Clashes
The quarter-finals brought some big matches.
- Manchester United played against Red Star Belgrade. Manchester United won the first match 2–1. The second match was a thrilling 3–3 draw, which meant Manchester United won 5–4 on total goals. This was the match Manchester United was returning from when the tragic air disaster happened.
- Real Madrid faced Sevilla in an all-Spanish battle. Real Madrid dominated, winning 10–2 on total goals.
- Vasas beat Ajax 6–2.
- Milan won against Borussia Dortmund 5–2.
Semi-finals: The Road to the Final
Only four teams remained to fight for a spot in the final.
- Real Madrid continued their winning streak, beating Vasas 4–2 on total goals.
- Milan played against Manchester United. Milan won 5–2 on total goals, moving on to the final.
The Grand Final
The final match was played on 28 May 1958, at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.
- Real Madrid (Spain) vs. Milan (Italy)
The score was 2–2 after 90 minutes, so the game went into extra time. Real Madrid scored again, winning the match 3–2! This victory secured their third European Cup title in a row, showing they were the best team in Europe at that time.
Top Goal Scorers
Here are the players who scored the most goals in the 1957–58 European Cup:
| Rank | Name | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfredo Di Stéfano |
Real Madrid |
10 |
| 2 |  Bora Kostić |
Red Star Belgrade |
9 |
| 3 |  Lajos Csordás |
Vasas |
8 |
| 4 | Dezső Bundzsák |
Vasas |
6 |
 Ernesto Grillo |
Milan |
6 | |
| 6 | Gastone Bean |
Milan |
5 |
 Juan Alberto Schiaffino |
Milan |
5 | |
| 8 | Jovan Cokić |
Red Star Belgrade |
4 |
| Héctor Rial |
Real Madrid |
4 | |
 Dennis Viollet |
Manchester United |
4 |
Images for kids
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The Heysel Stadium in Brussels hosted the final.
See also
In Spanish: Copa de Campeones de Europa 1957-58 para niños
