Chelsea and Benfica have accumulated regrets this season, but there is still an opportunity to cast the worst of them aside in Amsterdam this evening.

Neither side coveted the Europa League trophy during this campaign, and other prizes continued to be their focus in the build-up to the final. There is glory at stake when the two sides meet, though, and that will be enough to shrug aside any anxieties.

Chelsea began this term as the European Cup holders and could potentially have challenged for eight trophies. The Europa League was the least significant of them, but it is also the only one that is left. They could, in effect, win Europe's two major trophies in consecutive seasons, while dispensing with both managers who led the team to those successes. Roberto di Matteo was at least granted some of this campaign before being sacked, while Rafa Benitez, his replacement, was only ever an interim appointment and has already begun the process of seeking a new job.

Chelsea have become accustomed to working in a dysfunctional state. Benitez is only the latest manager to attempt to undermine the power base that John Terry, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, Ashley Cole and others built up in the dressing room. Terry has become the fourth-choice centre-back, and was seen to storm away from the club's training ground during the media day ahead of the final. He is injured, but still travelled with the team, and remains a leader within the squad, but his presence is diminishing.

The same cannot be said for Lampard, who scored his 203rd goal for Chelsea and became the club's top scorer of all time at the weekend. For a midfielder, that is a remarkable achievement but it emphasised, too, Lampard's continuing relevance to the team. Although his contract expires at the end of the season, he has not given up hope of remaining at the club.

His faith, like so many of those at Chelsea, is in Jose Mourinho. Lampard developed a bond with Mourinho when the manager was last at Chelsea, along with Terry and the other strong personalities in the dressing room, so there might yet be a final act for the old guard beyond this season. For Benitez, though, winning the Europa League would be a vindication of his own worth, but also a riposte to the Chelsea fans who carped about his appointment and have even continued to boo him throughout his spell in charge. He secured Champions League qualification, and perhaps may even yet deliver a trophy, but the relationship with the supporters was hopelessly broken from the outset.

This is contemporary Chelsea, though, existing in a state of flux and clashing egos while pursuing the game's leading prizes. When there is money to spend in gathering world-class players and managers, success remains achievable, but the mood is fractured and agitated. Benfica have known similar times, and remain weighed down by debts, but a more pragmatic approach to transfers and commercial activities has brought a period of stability.

Jorge Jesus has become one of the most admired coaches in Europe during the past three seasons, and there have been difficult moments to overcome. It was right at the close of last summer's transfer window that Benfica offloaded Javi Garcia to Manchester City and Axel Witsel to Zenit St Petersburg in deals that were worth a combined £55m. The duo were the heart of Benfica's midfield, but the sales were typical of the club, since they raised an impressive profit on players they bought early in their careers for modest fees, and because the worth of the team didn't diminish.

Jesus brought increasingly impressive performances out of young midfielder Nemanja Matic, who was part of the deal that took David Luiz to Chelsea, who themselves had bought Ramires from the Portuguese club. Porto remain more adept at utilising the South American market, but their old rivals have been catching up and the competitiveness on the field has been intense this season. Benfica once held the advantage in the title race, but lost their first league game of the season last weekend 2-1 at Porto. The winning goal was scored in injury time, sending Jesus to his knees on the touchline.

The players, too, appeared exhausted, mentally and physically. Porto now hold a one-point lead, with one league game remaining, and a season that once promised so much for Benfica could end in despair. The side does not deserve such a cruel turn of events, not least because the likes of Nico Gaitan and Ezequiel Garay are among the most sought-after players in Europe.

The final is a contrast, since Chelsea are funded by Roman Abramovich's oil money and his relentless ambition to position the club at the summit of European football. Benfica are making amends for a reckless financial past, and having to work shrewdly to generate significant income, but they are also enriched by a more glorious history. It is 51 years since the club last won a European trophy, but in the sixties they were among the great sides on the continent, twice winning the European Cup and nurturing the timeless ability of Eusebio.

History and context will be absent from events on the field tonight, and there is a sprightliness to Chelsea now that Lampard has achieved his personal feat and the club has ensured its Champions League participation for next season. Even Benitez will feel unburdened. Yet Benfica are capable of a stylish resilience. It ought to be a compelling spectacle, despite both sides having imagined grander events for this season.