1988 UEFA Cup Final

Overview

The 1988 UEFA Cup Final was an association football tie played on 4 May 1988 and 18 May 1988 between RCD Español of Spain and Bayer 04 Leverkusen of Germany.

First Leg

The first leg was played at the Estadi de Sarrià in Barcelona, Spain. Bayer 04 Leverkusen won the match 3-0, with goals from Andreas Thom, Klaus Täuber, and Ulf Kirsten.

Second Leg

The second leg was played at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion in Leverkusen, Germany. RCD Español won the match 3-2, with goals from Pichi Alonso, José Maria Gallart, and John Lauridsen. However, Bayer 04 Leverkusen won the tie on away goals.

Match Statistics

* **Referee:** Urs Meier (Switzerland) * **Attendance:** 23,000 (first leg), 16,000 (second leg) * **Goalscorers:** * Bayer 04 Leverkusen: Andreas Thom, Klaus Täuber, Ulf Kirsten * RCD Español: Pichi Alonso, José Maria Gallart, John Lauridsen

Conclusion

The 1988 UEFA Cup Final was a closely contested match between two evenly matched teams. In the end, Bayer 04 Leverkusen's away goal advantage proved to be the difference, and they were crowned champions. The victory was a major achievement for the German club, who had never won a major European trophy before.