BAYERN MUNICH CROWNED UEFA CHAMPIONS 2012/2013

 Munich beat Borussia Dortmund, 2-1, at Wembley on Saturday to win the Champions League title, ending three years of bitter disappointments in the first all-German final in the tournament’s history. The title game was a thrilling affair, even if the winning goal wasn’t much to look at.

Arjen Robben’s scored the winner in the 89th minute, darting through the Dortmund defense to snatch a free ball before clumsily redirecting a dribbling shot under goalie Roman Weidenfeller and across the line.

Robben also set up Bayern’s first goal, in the 60th minute, by dribbling to the end line — seemingly one touch too far — before crossing to the Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic. Ilkay Gundogan tied the score from the penalty spot eight minutes later after Bayern defender Dante fouled Marco Reus in the penalty area.

In many games the teams would have gone conservative at that point, but Saturday was different. The German rivals played a breathless final 20 minutes, with chance after chance at either end denied by Weidenfeller and his Bayern counterpart, Manuel Neuer. At one point, Dortmund defender Neven Subotic swept a sure goal for Thomas Muller off his goal line with a last-ditch dive.

The title was Bayern’s fifth in the tournament over all, and it helped atone for bitter losses in the final in 2010 (to Inter Milan) and 2012 (to Chelsea).

Platini shifts over and beckons Lahm, the captain, who grabs the trophy by its big ears and throws it up!
Bayern Munich are the champions of Europe again!

It’s sometimes hard for the creative players in big games. Everyone expects so much and they often get the blame if the team disappoints on the day. We knew Robben and Ribery were the artists that were expected to unlock the Borussia Dortmund defence. They struggled to begin with, and Robben fluffed his lines with three or four chances in the opening period. They stayed a little too wide and couldn’t influence the game. But they started to drift inside in the second half and Robben, in particular, stuck at it. His play was so incisive and penetrating, even when the finish was lacking. Robben set up the opening goal and then Ribery back-heeled an instinctive pass into his fellow winger’s path for the winner. Love them or loath them, they delivered.

Borussia will get plenty of praise. The plucky underdogs, the gallant losers. But that won’t be much balm. Gotze has gone to Bayern already, Lewandowski’s future is far from certain, and this run to the final, enjoyable and laudable as it has been, has served as a glossy shop window for players like Gundogan, Piszczek and Subotic – even the coach, Klopp – to attract the admiring glances of “bigger” teams. This loss could resound far beyond a teary-eyed evening in Wembley.