The 1980âÂÂ81 European Cup was the 26th season of the European Cup, UEFA's premier club football competition. The tournament was won for a third time by Liverpool, who beat six-time champions Real Madrid in the final. In the 11 seasons up to and including this one, there were only four winners of the European Cup (Ajax, Bayern Munich, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool), but there were eleven different runners-up. This sequence was ended the following year, when Bayern Munich lost to first-time finalists Aston Villa.
Nottingham Forest, the defending champions, were eliminated by CSKA Sofia in the first round.
Budapest Honvéd won 11âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Aberdeen won 1âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Liverpool won 11âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
CSKA Sofia won 2âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Szombierki Bytom won 4âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Bayern Munich won 7âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Ajax won 3âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
BanÃÂk Ostrava won 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
BFC Dynamo won 4âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Spartak Moscow won 9âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Esbjerg won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Real Madrid won 7âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Budapest Honvéd won 3âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Nantes won 3âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Internazionale won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Basel won 5âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Red Star Belgrade won 7âÂÂ3 on aggregate.
Liverpool won 5âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
CSKA Sofia won 5âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Bayern Munich won 6âÂÂ3 on aggregate.
1âÂÂ1 on aggregate; BanÃÂk Ostrava won on away goals.
Spartak Moscow won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Real Madrid won 3âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Internazionale won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Red Star Belgrade won 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Liverpool won 6âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Bayern Munich won 6âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Real Madrid won 2âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Internazionale won 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
1âÂÂ1 on aggregate; Liverpool won on away goals.
Real Madrid won 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
The top scorers from the 1980âÂÂ81 European Cup (excluding preliminary round) are as follows: