As the song goes, Blues fans are going on a (proper) European tour after all.

And it's one of their own - teenager Nathan Redmond - who propelled the club forwards into the Europa League group stage.

Quite simply Redmond lit up St Andrew's on a memorable night that has been 50 years in the waiting.

Not only did he score the crucial opening goal - and what a strike it was - and hit the woodwork, but he gave the Portuguese side a monumental headache with his sparkling, elusive and inventive football throughout.

And this from a kid who turned 17 just five months ago. Remarkable - TF eat your heart out.

Blues last played on this stage in 1961.

Twice Inter City Fairs Cup finalists, they rekindled the memories and spirit of those times past in this play-off second leg.

Blues were going very much into the unknown back in the late 50s and early 60s, but they produced some stunning performances above their station against the likes of Internazionale, Barcelona and AS Roma.

And although Nacional are hardly continental heavyweights, considering the circumstances and where Blues find themselves at now since the Carling Cup final win that earned them qualification, this result and the passage to the groups should not be dismissed.

A second goal soon after Redmond's first-half opener - David Murphy's glancing header going in off Luis Alberto - put the 27,698 crowd into a frenzy and Blues in control.

They never looked back, playing like experienced European campaigners to protect the lead and also build on it, with a long overdue third goal coming four minutes from time through Chris Wood.

Going into the tie, the casualty list made grim reading. Chris Hughton once more had to pick a side and formation more out of necessity than design.

Unavailable were Liam Ridgewell, Morgaro Gomis, Scott Dann, Cameron Jerome, Nikola Zigic, Marlon King and Jordon Mutch.

And among Blues replacements were five teenagers, including Mitch Hancox, 17, the Academy left-back drafted into the squad for the first time.

Nacional's intentions were clear in that coach Ivo Vieira picked a very attack-minded side.

And 6ft 3in Zarko Tomasevic came in at left-back to provide more insurance aerially given Nacional's struggles dealing with crosses and set-pieces in the first leg, which ended 0-0.

The game started quite ominously for Blues as Nacional preened, probed and kept the ball. With three forwards in close support of Mario Rondon, there was a fluidity and rhythm about them.

But everything changed in the 15th minute when Redmond produced his first moment of magic.

Murphy slipped a clever short pass forward pass into his feet and he quickly cut inside Luis Alberto's challenge to move infield.

There was now only one thing on his mind, despite the 25 yards distance - and how Redmond executed.

A low right-footer skidded along the ground and was perfectly placed into the bottom corner beyond Elisson's full-length dive.