Bayern Munich's German defender Philipp Lahm lifts the trophy after the UEFA Champions League final football match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at Wembley Stadium in London yesterday.
LONDON: Bayern Munich overcame the heartbreak of losing two finals in three seasons by beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in a memorable all-German Champions League final yesterday to become European champions for the fifth time.
Goals from Croatian Mario Mandzukic after 60 minutes and Dutchman Arjen Robben, with a stunning 89th-minute solo strike, settled a superb final after Dortmund had levelled with a 68th-minute penalty from Ilkay Guendogan.
The victory kept alive Bayern’s hopes of a treble as they have already won the German league title and face VfB Stuttgart in the Cup final in Berlin next Saturday.
“It’s a final, we were at the same level, we both had our chances,” Robben told ZDF German TV.
“I was able to push the ball through at the end. It means a lot to me. It’s still hard to fathom. I’ll be able to put it in words later. There are so many emotions right now, it’s incredible.
“So many people told me I’d score a goal tonight. the first few chances I missed. I got another chance at the end and took advantage of it.”
The match, played at a ferocious pace, was full of superb attacking football and seemed destined for extra time until Robben burst through a gap in the defence and rounded outstanding Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller to score.
Dortmund began at blistering pace which they maintained for almost 30 minutes with Marco Reus and Robert Lewandowski pulverising the Bayern defence.
Lewandowski had the first of their seven first-half scoring chances, powering in a 30-metre shot which goalkeeper Manuel Neuer turned over the bar for a corner.Reuters
