Aston Villa put one foot into the European Cup final on this day in 1982 after beating Anderlecht 1-0 at Villa Park in the first leg of their semi-final.
Tony Morley struck the winner after 28 minutes as the champions of England overcame their Belgian counterparts in a hard-fought affair.
Anderlecht, who were unbeaten in the competition when they arrived in Birmingham, adopted a defensive approach and rarely threatened Jimmy Rimmer’s goal.
The youngest player in Villa’s starting XI, Gary Shaw, saw three early efforts go narrowly wide as the hosts set about their opponents.
Morley spurned a glorious opportunity before making amends shortly after with the only goal of the game.
The winger was played through by Gordon Cowans before slotting a left-footed shot across the goalkeeper and in off the far post.
Villa pushed in vain for a second goal to take to Constant Vanden Stock Stadium three weeks later, but the result left manager Tony Barton in a confident mood in his post-match interview.
He said: “They competed better than we did in midfield, where we were not at our best.
“I’m delighted we won, and I now feel confident we can go to Belgium in a fortnight and clinch our place in the final.
“Although I would have liked another goal, I’ve got to be happy with the lead. We are now 90 minutes from the final, and we are in front.
“We also have the chance of an away goal, which is something Anderlecht can’t get. I would rather be in our position than theirs.”
