The first attempt was blocked, but the second one, a volley, flew straight into the top corner! There have been many important goals in the history of FC Bayern, but they were rarely so stunning at the same time. Of the 69 goals Alexander Zickler scored in his career with the German record champions, his last-minute winner against 1. FC Kaiserslautern 19 years ago today will certainly never be forgotten. The striker paved the way for the highly dramatic and, from Bayern's point of view, successful finale of the 2000/01 season.
Click here to enjoy Zickler‘s wonder goal again:
In the final stages of the season, fans often keep one eye on how the table stands during games. Every goal could change the standings, but no matter how frenetic the action is, the only thing that matters is who is on top when the final whistle is blown. 12 May 2001 was a prime example. Ahead of Matchday 33, FC Schalke 04 were on the same points as Bayern but top of the table by virtue of their superior goal difference. In the battle for first place, the Royal Blues travelled to VfB Stuttgart, while Zickler and Co. had to beat Kaiserslautern at home.
The winner and good news from Stuttgart
Initially, however, the men from Munich lost some ground. After conceding a Vratislav Lokvenc goal in the 5th minute, FCB suddenly found themselves trailing Schalke by a point in the live standings. It was only after the break that Carsten Jancker (56') was able to equalise for Ottmar Hitzfeld's team, while it remained goalless in the parallel game in Stuttgart. However, things took a dramatic turn in injury time. Hitzfeld wanted the win and brought on Zickler with a minute of normal time remaining.
Shortly afterwards, the striker sprinted down the left wing to receive a pass. With a jink inside, Zickler let fly from the left side of the box. Although Slobodan Komljenovic initially blocked the shot with a slide, the ball rebounded up from the defender's leg straight into Zickler's path and he hammered a volley straight into the top corner. At almost the same time Schalke conceded against Stuttgart and all of a sudden Bayern were three points ahead clear going into the final matchday.
First act of a highly dramatic season finale
Just how important this lead was became clear a week later when Bayern had to endure another tension-filled match right into injury time. The outcome is now part of Bundesliga folklore.
Read here how Patrik Andersson experienced the dramatic season finale a week later:
