Both Chelsea and Stuttgart ended their seasons in fourth place of their respective leagues, the FA Premier League and the Bundesliga. Chelsea beat Bolton Wanderers 2–0 on the last matchday, while Stuttgart oversaw a 1–0 win over Werder Bremen. Both sides also progressed in their cup competitions – Chelsea lost against Manchester United with three to five in the 1997–98 FA Cup third round, but found success with a 2–0 victory over Middlesbrough in the 1998 Football League Cup Final. Stuttgart saw themselves overrun 0–2 by Bayern Munich in the 1997 German League Cup Final, only to succumb to Bayern again with a 0–3 deficit in the 1997–98 German Cup semi-final.