"I was absolutely exhausted!" The look on Oliver Kahn's face after the 3-3 draw in Getafe on April 10, 2008 proved this comment was by no means an understatement. The 120 minutes he'd just experienced at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez almost finished off the Bayern goalkeeper. In an unbelievable match, FC Bayern fought their way back to earn a draw in the UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg and go through to the semi-finals. But the way the game unfolded was more than a bit crazy.
Three late, late goals
After drawing 1-1 in the first leg, Kahn & Co. had to score at least one goal and things looked good when Rubén de la Red was shown the red card after just six minutes. But the home side took the lead shortly before the break (44') and it took almost until the final whistle (89') for Franck Ribéry to equalise and push the match into extra time. Then, however, Getafe shocked FCB with two quick strikes (91' & 93'). When Luca Toni pulled one back to make it 3-2 in the 115th minute, the Bayern faithful dared to hope again.
Kahn causes confusion up front
When the Reds were awarded a free-kick in the last few minutes, nothing could hold Kahn back. At that time it was already known that the former World Goalkeeper of the Year would end his career at the end of the season. He didn't want his last match on the international stage to be in the quarter-finals and so he gave everything he had to progress further. Afterwards, he explained his sprint to the front: "I just wanted to cause some confusion". It had the desired effect: Toni headed the ball into the net to make it 3-3 and the Bavarians went through. On the way back to his goal he threw his arms around Mark van Bommel's neck, almost breaking his nose in the progress. The look on his face spoke volumes.
"I've been everywhere: Manchester, Madrid, Barcelona and I've experienced big games, but this, this - I've never seen anything like it. In jest, I said that in ten years' time we wouldn't be talking about Barcelona or Man U, but about Getafe," said Kahn afterwards, still completely stunned. And he would be proved right. This game still lingers in the memories of Bayern fans today.
In the ‘Looking Back’ series, fcbayern.com presents regular snapshots from the photo archives for fans to enjoy. Enjoy special snapshots, like this special gift for current Bayern head coach Hansi Flick:
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