Alaba's free-kick and Robben's solo
Wed | 13/05/20 | 13:30
Bayern and Leipzig's memorable last-minute spectacle
It was the fifth minute of injury time between Bayern and RB Leipzig. Arjen Robben set off on a run down the right wing before leaving Marvin Compper standing with his first trick. Next, he shrugged off Stefan Ilsanker before deftly lifting the ball over goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and into the back of the net to make it 5-4 to Bayern. What a goal, what a win, what a game!
Enjoy a goal that only Arjen Robben could score:
Game for the history books
In reality, there was nothing to play for when FCB faced RB on 13 May 2017, but they produced an absolute spectacle. “A game of madness” was how Robert Lewandowski later described it. A match that neither he nor fans will quickly forget.
Rapid start
Tom Starke deputised for the injured <a href="manuel-neuer">Manuel Neuer</a> and <a href="sven-ulreich">Sven Ulreich</a>, but conceded with the first shot he faced.
The Munich side had already wrapped up the title by Matchday 33, while Leipzig were guaranteed second place. Yet both teams wanted to win, which was clear from the start. Marcel Sabitzer put the hosts ahead inside just two minutes with the first chance. Lewandowski quickly equalised just 15 minutes later.
Leipzig take two-goal lead
The top two played great football and created plenty of chances. This overhead kick from Thiago didn’t find the target, though.
Both teams were going for the win and played refreshing, attacking football. “It was just back and forth in the first half. Definitely nice for the spectators,” said captain Philipp Lahm after the final whistle. There was plenty of goalmouth action, but it was the hosts who profited most at first as Timo Werner (29’) and Yussuf Poulsen (47’) put Leipzig 3-1 ahead.
Lewandowski gets Bayern back in it
Lewandowski bagged a brace to take his total for the season up to 30. He finished second in the top scorer race behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (31 goals).
FCB got one back through Thiago’s header on the hour mark, but Werner restored the two-goal advantage just five minutes later. That didn’t sit well with the champions, so Carlo Ancelotti’s side threw everything they had into attack. Thanks in part to the woodwork, Leipzig still held the lead at the end of 90 minutes despite Lewandowski’s goal in the 84th minute.
Alaba equalises with stunner
David Alaba’s free-kick flew perfectly into the top corner to make it 4-4.
It was 4-3 when David Alaba lined up a free-kick in the first minute of additional time. The Austrian fired the ball over the ball and into the top corner from 20 yards. An unstoppable effort for the goalkeeper. But that wasn’t enough, and Arjen Robben decided to take matters into his own hands.
Battle to victory
Mr. Wembley set off on an irresistible solo run to round off the spectacle. Bayern celebrated an incredible victory built on the team’s character. “It was mad. Both sides wanted to show who was better,” Thomas Müller summarised. It was a game that proved once again that football really is the beautiful game.
Bayern fans were on the edge of their seat in the 2001 title race when Alexander Zickler smashed home a thunderous volley:
Topics of this article