1956 European Cup final

Real Madrid entered the European Cup competition as the title winners of the 1954–55 La Liga. In the opening round, they were drawn against Swiss champions Servette. After they secured a 2–0 victory away from home in the first leg, they secured a 5–0 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with Alfredo Di Stéfano scoring two goals in the victory.[1] In the quarter-finals they were drawn against Yugoslavian side FK Partizan who had finished fifth in the previous season. In the opening leg at home, Heliodoro Castaño Pedrosa scored two goals as fellow goals from Francisco Gento and Alfredo Di Stéfano gave Real Madrid a four goal lead heading into the away leg in Belgrade.[2] Partizan won second leg 3–0, but that was not enough to advance to the semi-finals.[3] There, Real Madrid won the first home leg against AC Milan and with two-goal lead could afford a second leg 2–1 defeat at the San Siro.[4]

Reims entered the European Cup competition as the title winners of the 1954–55 French Division 1. In the opening round, they were drawn against Danish champions AGF Aarhus. In the first away leg they secured a 2–0 victory thanks to a brace from Léon Glovacki,[5] before a 2–2 draw at the Stade Auguste-Delaune. In the quarter-finals they were drawn against Hungarian side Vörös Lobogó who had finished 2nd in the previous season. In the opening leg at home, Michel Leblond scored two goals as fellow goals from Léon Glovacki and René Bliard gave Reims a two-goal lead heading into the away leg at Budapest.[6] There, a tight match ensured a 4–4 draw, which saw Reims advance to the semi-finals,[7] where they defeated Scottish Hibernian in both legs, reaching final undefeated.[8]