It's the game Bayern fans all over the world have been looking forward to for weeks: FCB contest their third Champions League final in the last four years, in the first ever all-German clash against Bundesliga runners-up Borussia Dortmund on Saturday at Wembley. fcbayern.de keeps you informed of the latest developments in the build-up, with regular updates across the last 36 hours before kick-off.
Saturday 25 May, afternoon report
The schedule: It's matchday, and the tense excitement has been building since the morning. Fans are jostling for position in London's pubs, trying to get a decent view of a TV screen – unfortunately, thereare no outdoor Public Viewing events in the British capital. As we approach kick-off, the Bayern team are readying themselves for the transfer to the stadium.
6:30 pm: Is it a good omen? At Wembley, Bayern have been assigned the dressing room also used by Barcelona in 2011 – and the Spaniards went on to beat Manchester United…
6 pm: The players, if they wish, now take a last snack before the match, choosing from pasta, coffee and cake. Outside the Landmark Hotel in London's Marylebone, a crowd of fans has gathered, hoping for a glimpse of their heroes.
5:35 pm: Wembley is open, and plenty of fans are already making their way through the turnstiles, even though there are still three hours remaining until kick-off. Those without a ticket may be already too late to find a decent viewing position in the capital's pubs: the best seats went extremely rapidly, many of them from around midday. And there certainly will be plenty of ticketless fans: the authorities have estimated that some 150,000 German supporters have made their way to London.
5 pm: In the last five years, the “rule" in the Champions League is that either Barcelona win (2009 and 2011), or the trophy goes to the team who knocked the Catalans out of the tournament (Chelsea in 2012, Inter in 2010, and Manchester United in 2008). Can FCB maintain the sequence?
4:30 pm: This year's Champions League final is the seventh in Europe's most prestigious club tournament to be played at Wembley, taking the stadium in London further clear of the arenas in second and third, the Heysel Stadium in Brussels (five finals) and Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna (four). The most recent final at Wembley took place only two years ago, when Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1. Rehearsals are currently underway at the vast arena in the north of the British capital – and the turf is perfect, as it is to be mowed no fewer than three times today. At kick-off time, every blade of grass will be exactly 23 mm in length.
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