Saturday, May 19, 2012

Bayern v.s. Chelsea: Champions League Final

It was a thrilling match, at least at the end. Bayern once more had the lion's share of the opportunities but somehow found themselves lacking in front of goal. By the end of the first half we had all only been shown the fact that Mario Gomez isn't always the most reliable striker. Having said that, Chelsea were, while on the downside of the opportunities on the upside when it came to potential: always threatening to counter on top of intelligent defending. Bayern's incredible advantage of possession and opportunities continued well into the second half, culminating in Thomas Muller's 83rd header into the net after a sweet cross from Toni Kroos. Everything looked wrapped up with the crowd celebrating and Bayern themselves looking quite rightly happy. Jubilation was cut short though. Didier Drogba equalized for the English side from the team's first corner of the match, from Juan Mata. Heading the ball past Bayern's Manuel Neuer, the Ivorian cemented his name in the legacy of the London club. On to extra time where Bayern once more had the best chances with the most obvious coming in the 95th minute when Drogba proceeded to foul in the penalty box giving Arjen Robben the opportunity to give the Germans a potentially vital lead. Instead, the Dutchman had his strike saved by Petr Cech who guessed correctly and dived to deny the shot. Following this, Bayern seemed to lack imagination as extra time ran out and the game moved on to penalties. Lahm, Gomez, and even Neuer were able to make their respective shots while Juan Mata missed Chelsea's first chance. David Luiz and Lampard were successful in their attempts while Bayern's Olic was denied. Chelsea's Cole and Drogba both succeeded on either side of Schweinsteiger's mishap off the post leaving Chelsea in the lead at the end of the night. An historic night with Chelsea becoming the first London club to win the title, securing their place in the competition for next year, and shattering the hopes of their hosts.

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