http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=341104&cc=4716
Chelsea claim Champions League glory
Chelsea won the Champions League final on German soil as they beat Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties aft the game finished 1-1 in normal time.
Bayern had much the better of the game, missed numerous chances in the 1st-half & were made 2 wait until the 83rd min 4 the opener when Thomas Muller appeared @ the back post 2 head past Petr Cech.
Despite a lack of ambition until then, Chelsea were not done & equalised in a thrilling finale when Didier Drogba headed home fr the Blues' 1st corner of the game with 2 mins left 2 go.
Drogba almost turned fr hero 2 villain as he tripped Franck Ribery in the box in the 1st period of extra-time but Cech saved Arjen Robben's penalty low down 2 his left. The rest of the game yielded no goals & it was left 2 penalties 2 decide the winner.
It looked like Chelsea would lose the shootout as Juan Mata missed, but Ivica Olic - with his last kick as a Bayern Munich player - & Bastian Schweinsteiger missed & Drogba stroked home 4 glory.
Fr his place in the stands, owner Roman Abramovich was clearly overjoyed, as was the suspended John Terry, who watched the tense shoot-out unfold fr the touchline.
Assisted by the obvious advantage of playing @ home, Bayern got themselves on the front foot immediately & were rarely pushed back.
The nearest they came was when former Chelsea man Arjen Robben glided past 2 defenders, then drilled a low shot 2wards goal, which Petr Cech managed 2 deflect high on2 a post, with Robben barely able 2 believe he had failed.
Robben had another couple of chances b4 Muller volleyed wide.
Robben & Muller combined 2 create an opening 4 Mario Gomez tat he looked certain 2 capitalise on aft a deft body movement had left Gary Cahill stranded, only 4 the Bayern sharp-shooter 2 lash over.
Handed a surprise start, Ryan Bertrand coped well. It was the 1st time a player has made his debut in the competition in the final in the Champions League era. It was on the other side where Franck Ribery was proving 2 be a complete menace.
Wat they did @ the Camp Nou gave Chelsea immense belief in their own durability. Indeed, they might hv had something 2 celebrate themselves had Juan Mata kept his curling free-kick down or Salomon Kalou been able 2 direct a shot away fr Manuel Neuer aft Frank Lampard & Drogba combined 2 set him up fr an admittedly acute angle.
The pattern continued aft half-time & Ribery thought he had grabbed a deserved opener when he snaffled the loose ball aft Cole had blocked Robben's goalbound shot. The offside flag cut German celebrations short.
Cole's involvement was part of an outstanding contribution fr the full-back, who seemed 2 be in the way of nearly all the threats 2 Chelsea's goal. He denied both Robben & Toni Kroos as Chelsea, enhancing his status 1 of the few truly world class players Roy Hodgson will hv @ his disposal @ Euro 2012.
In response, Drogba, possibly making his last appearance 4 the club, unleashed a speculative long-range volley tat dipped wide.
Bayern found the breakthrough 7 mins fr time when Kroos curled a cross 2 Muller who intelligently headed the ball hard & down, which meant it bounced up 2wards the crossbar, possibly catching Cech by surprise.
But Abramovich's team r made of stern stuff. And with barely 2 mins remaining, & Muller replaced by an extra defender in Daniel van Buyten, Drogba rose @ the near post 2 power Mata's corner home.
Tis time there was nothing the goalkeeper could do, the ball speeding past Neuer @ such pace there was no time 4 reaction.
The drama continued in2 extra-time as Drogba bundled Ribery over in the box. Whilst the contact might not hv looked much, it was enough 2 end the Frenchman's evening & it was a definite spot-kick.
Robben hit his penalty 2wards the bottom right but he failed 2 find the corner & Cech was equal 2 it, making a fine save 2 his left & then smothering the rebound.
It was the kind of moment tat made u think fate had decreed a Chelsea win, a belief only strengthened by Bayern passing up 2 clear openings in the 2nd period of those additional 30 mins.
Drogba kept his nerve as Olic & Schweinsteiger failed 2 ensure Chelsea erased the memory of their misery in 2008 by conquering Europe 4 the 1st time.
MATCH SUMMARY
Man of the Match: Ashley Cole.
Perhaps it helped tat he had the defensive-minded Bertrand ahead of him 4 most of the match, but Cole put in a real shift & threw himself in front of everything tat Bayern had 2 offer. His committment was 2nd 2 none & his defending was a key reason tat Ribery & Robben found little joy down the Chelsea left. A world class performance fr a world class left-back & he scored in the shootout as well.
Bayern Munich verdict:
Dominated the 1st half & were unlucky not 2 hv gone ahead, although only 2 of their 16 shots were on target. They continued 2 attack throughout & got a deserved late goal, but were stunned by Drogba's equaliser. Heads didn't go down aft the missed penalty in extra-time but they struggled 2 break the Blues down again. They choked in the penalty shootout.
Chelsea verdict:
At times u could hv been forgiven 4 thinking tat Chelsea were ahead on aggregate. They hardly made an impression until the goal as they were pressed back by Bayern's attacks & didn't show much inclination 2 cause problems of their own, forcing Neuer into only 1 save. Drogba's 88th min header came fr their 1st corner & they had some momentum but felt tiredness creep in. Somehow they mustered enough 2 win the shootout in style & Drogba was, somewhat predictably, the hero.
Could do better: Mario Gomez.
He had scored 48 goals in 53 games b4 the final & is starting 2 get the recognition he deserves 4 his feats. However tis was not the giant striker's night as he toiled away up front without making much of a mark on 2 unfit centre-backs. Turning Cahill, he had the chance 2 put Bayern ahead but skied well over & did not live up 2 his billing.
Stat attack:
Ryan Bertrand, 22, became the 1st player in the Champions League era 2 make his debut in the competition in the final. It was also the 1st time tat a final had been held @ the home of 1 of the finalists. Every time the final has been held in Munich, 4 occasions, a team has won the competition 4 the first time.