“When I woke up on that day, I immediately thought: today we’re going to win it!” recalled Bastian Schweinsteiger afterwards. Every Bayern fan knows where they were on 25 May 2013. Whether it was London, Munich or anywhere else in the world, Reds fans everywhere were gripped by that evening’s Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund. It’s a day that nobody is likely to forget, as Bayern went on to lift the trophy after a legendary game.
It’s now seven years ago, and on Tuesday the two sides do battle again in the Bundesliga. What better way to start this week than with a look back at the Wembley triumph?
Initiative seized
After struggling in the early stages, Bayern took control of the game midway through the first half and took the lead in the 60th minute through Mario Mandžukic. Jupp Heynckes’ men were playing with confidence and although Ilkay Gündogan levelled the score from the penalty spot in the 67th minute, “I never got the feeling it could go wrong again”, described Schweinsteiger.
Arjen wins it
Probably every Bayern fan can still vividly picture the decisive moment of the match. It was the 89th minute, and a long pass from Jérôme Boateng picked out Franck Ribéry. The Frenchman brought the ball down and flicked it into the path of Arjen Robben, who clipped it past the onrushing Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller. It seemed like an eternity before the ball finally rolled over the line and the red half of Wembley could erupt with joy.
Watch the goal again
Bayern had achieved their target and were crowned champions of Europe for the fifth time. “Even though I’ve seen it 20 or 30 times before, I still get goosebumps,” says Robben. So do we – you can’t watch this wonderful moment enough:
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