After that thrilling night in Munich this time last year, Chelsea would have envisaged reaching another final - but not the one in the Amsterdam Arena.
However, the Blues face just that prospect - a unique one, where they could simultaneously be the Champions League and Europa League winners, even if it is just for ten days.
Chelsea have one major hurdle to make that achievement a reality, though; and that is the final against Benfica at the Amsterdam Arena.
The Blues have overcome the massive disappointment of crashing out in the Group Stages of the Champions League, by stamping their authority in the Europa League.
Reaching a second straight European final has been quite a commendable achievement, considering the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City did not progress too far after dropping down to the second-string European competition last season.
Chelsea have also had to juggle the Premier League and the F.A. Cup with the Europa League, and Rafa Benitez has done a really good job of rotating his squad around and making sure the standards have not dropped, particularly in the league, where Chelsea have pretty much sealed a top-four spot.
While Chelsea will start favorites for the final Wednesday, Benfica are far from underdogs. The Portuguese side, like Chelsea, also dropped down to the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group, which included Barcelona and Celtic.
Manager Jorge Jesus is an experienced coach and will know how to get the best out of his players in a winner-take-all final.
"Winning the Europa League would be a very important moment in the club's history, and for the players and staff," Jesus told UEFA's official website. "Getting to the final is a great achievement in itself but coming away victorious would be even greater.
"Benfica are always under pressure when they play and we know that in every competition we take part in, the aim is to get to the final and win."
For a couple of Chelsea players, the final against Benfica will be an extremely special occasion. David Luiz and Ramires will be up against their former team, but for Luiz in particular it will be an unforgettable game, having spent four years with the Portuguese club.
"Everyone knows that I have Benfica in my heart, but when you start the game, you forget everything," the defender said. "I want to win with Chelsea, I want to win this title.
"When you play a final, you always play against big teams, big clubs. That's why Benfica are in the final, that's why Chelsea are in the final."
The Blues have a couple of major worries with John Terry and Eden Hazard likely to miss out after suffering injuries in the Premier League game with Aston Villa.
Ryan Bertrand and John Obi Mikel are also slight doubts, while Demba Ba is ineligible, having played for Newcastle in the earlier rounds. Frank Lampard could be in line for a start after his heroics in the Villa game, where he scored two goals to become the club's leading goalscorer.
Benfica have no new injury worries, with defender Andre Almeida expected to be fit for the finale.
The last time the two sides met, it was in the Champions League quarterfinals last year. Chelsea won 3-1 on aggregate and went on the lift the title.
Come Wednesday, Benfica will be hoping for a turnaround of fortunes, but knowing Chelsea, they will have that ace in the pack ready when needed to do just enough to lift a European trophy for the second season in a row.
Expected lineups: Benfica: Moraes; Almeida, Garay, Luisao, Pereira; Matic, Perez; Salvio, Lima, Gaitan; Cardozo.
Chelsea: Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole; Ramires, Lampard; Moses, Mata, Oscar; Torres.
Prediction: 2-1 to Chelsea
