The All-German Champions League final before 86,298 at Wembley Stadium lived up to the pre-game hype as Bayern München and BVB Borussia Dortmund put on a well-played and entertaining match that was not decided until Arjen Robben scored in the 89th minute to make it 2-1. The Associated Press account is here. Robben had the assist on the first goal.
I watched the first 15 minutes and the entire second half. In the early going Dortmund seemed to control the play and looked sharper, working the ball down the outside. But Munich managed to keep the game at 0-0 through intermission, then picked up the pace in the second half.
Bayern got on the scoreboard in the 60th minute on a play I hope youth players were watching., It began when Franck Ribery 'megged his mark and got the ball to Robben who took it a short distance to the goal line then drew it back to Mario Mandzukic, who touched it home. The lesson was given by Robben - are you listening, kids? - who rather than try to shoot from an impossible angle put it in front of the goal, giving Mandzukic a ball on which one of my grandsons could have scored.
Seven minutes later Munich was fortunate it did not go down a man when Dante, already carrying a yellow card, was called for kneeing an opponent in the chest, in the box in the 67th minute. Ilkay Gündogan buried the PK to even the score.
Bayen had several big chances in the minutes that followed but Neven Subotic cleared what looked like a sure goal off the line in the 71st minute and keeper Roman Weidenfeller made a diving save to his left five minutes later.
Just when it appeared overtime would be needed, Robben burst up the middle from the penalty spot, beat two defenders and gave Bayern its first Champions League title since 2001. Bayern lost to Chelsea in a shootout in last year's final in Munich.
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