Cast your mind back to 29 August 2009. FC Bayern are hosting VfL Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena on matchday 4 of the 2009/10 Bundesliga season, and with the Reds leading 1-0 coach Louis van Gaal brings on Arjen Robben at half-time. The Dutchman had arrived in Munich just the day before from Madrid and received a frenetic welcome from the FCB fans. The applause was repeated again in the 63rd minute when Van Gaal also sent Franck Ribery out onto the pitch.
It took just five minutes for the club’s wingers to show what they were capable of. Ribery played in Robben, and the new signing doubled the lead. “It’s chemistry, synergy, it’s just automatic, it’s all about feeling. We’re both players who love football, we both want to run at goal,” recalled Robben nine years later of that day.
In the 80th minute the act was repeated when the new No.10 finished off a counter from the Frenchman to wrap up a 3-0 win. The stadium went wild and the wing duo of Rib & Rob was born. The pair have shaped Bayern’s game ever since that moment and lead the club to numerous titles.
In the ‘Looking Back’ series, fcbayern.com presents regular snapshots from the photo archives for fans to enjoy.
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