Blues keeper Petr Cech saved superbly from Cardozo and Frank Lampard struck the woodwork in a dramatic conclusion before Ivanovic - suspended for last year's Champions League final - rose to meet Juan Mata's corner deep into stoppage time to prompt a subdued clenched-first celebration from Benitez.Chelsea, with Eden Hazard already out with a hamstring injury, also had to do without captain John Terry for a second successive European final after he failed to recover from the ankle problem he sustained at Aston Villa. It required superb athleticism from Cech to prevent Cardozo putting Benfica in front with nine minutes left, the keeper at full stretch to turn his dipping 20-yard shot over the bar.It was a night when Chelsea rode their luck for periods against their Portuguese opponents but the sheer grit and resilience shown in grinding out this win in their 68th game of the season is a tribute to their reserves of character.Torres took a knock early on and his struggles were made even more acute by a lack of support in midfield, where former Chelsea midfield man Nemanja Matic, who went to Benfica as part of the David Luiz deal, was impressive. As for Benitez, he will leave Stamford Bridge following Sunday's final Premier League game against Everton a satisfied - and probably in-demand - manager after guiding the west Londoners into next season's Champions League and claiming a major trophy after succeeding Roberto Di Matteo in November.Chelsea took the lead against the run of play just before the hour, but it was a moment of vintage Torres that provided it. He showed pace and body strength to escape the attentions of Ezequiel Garay and Luisao before rounding Artur to score from the tightest of angles.Benfica, with their greatest ever player Eusebio watching from the stands, were attempting to lift their European curse and end a 51-year barren sequence but have now lost seven successive European finals, many of their players slumping to the turf in tears at the final whistle.
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