As Franck Ribéry stepped up to blast a stoppage-time free-kick at Faryd Mondragon’s goal, Thomas Müller’s poacher’s nose drew him towards the Köln keeper. Müller guessed correctly: the ball spooned up off the shot-stopper, the FCB forward applied a head, and the crowd prepared to celebrate. But the cries of joy died in thousands of throats, as the ball landed harmlessly in Mondragon’s arms. Müller clutched his head, and a groan of dismay filled the Allianz Arena. A few moments later, the referee blew up, and Bayern had drawn 0-0 with Köln.
“The way I took it, there was almost no chance of it going in,” Müller fumed afterwards, “later, I realised I’d have had time to control it on my chest and then shoot. I made the wrong decision.” Almost exactly a year ago, the same fate befell Ivica Olic, who also missed a huge stoppage-time chance in a goalless draw with Köln. “The games I’ve played at home to Köln were pretty much identical,” mused Müller – and he was not the only person with a sense of déjà-vu on Saturday.
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