by Richard Jaffa
Match Analysis of the Champions League Final 2012 – Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea
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| Champions at last |
Chelsea , against the odds in what was essentially an away fixture in the Allianz Arena, beat Bayern Munich on penalties, claiming their first ever European Cup after a quite staggering cup run and string of performances. This is why football is the most dramatic and unpredictable sport in the world. When Roberto Di Matteo took over from the sacked Andre Villas-Boas, they were written off to a season of mediocrity with many calling this the end of an era for Chelsea. However, Di Matteo somehow summoned the spirit of the Mourinho years, reinvigorating a so called ‘spent force’ to go one better than ‘the special one’ and claim Roman Abramovich's holy grail. Di Matteo is the first Italian manager to win the European Cup with a foreign club. It all started with the spectacular turning of a tie against Napoli at Stamford Bridge, and ended in Munich with a penalty shootout victory over a German side, banishing the traumatic memories of Moscow four years ago. It was somewhat apt that Chelsea got their hands on the trophy in the same fashion as they once had it snatched away from them. Didier Drogba claimed after the game, “I believe in destiny and this was written a long time ago but we just didn’t know it.” Four surviving members of the 2008 losing finalists played and achieved redemption in the type of drama only football seems to provide . Few could have dreamed after the Abramovich millions poured in that they would reach their goal with perhaps their weakest team during his ownership, beating arguably the greatest side the game has ever witnessed, in Barcelona, en route to the final. This was poignantly Chelsea’s 100th Champions League tie under Abramovich’s ownership, which he assumed in 2003.
Gary Neville, whilst commentating for Sky Sports, speculated on several occasions that Chelsea’s “name is on the trophy”, and that it was Didier Drogba’s “time for redemption” (alluding to the red card he received and Chelsea's subsequent loss in the final of the 2008 Champions League final, on penalties, to Man Utd). Indeed, it was hard to disagree with what Neville was professing. He suggested the same when Lionel Messi missed a penalty at the Nou Camp in the semi final second leg. When a man who scored 72 goals in a single season misses a penalty against an undoubtedly inferior side, that go on to win with 10 men, you could be forgiven for suspecting that fate has already determined its champions. Having seen Chelsea go so close in years gone by, suffering at times horrendous misfortune, it was hard not to believe what the newest member of Roy Hodgson's England coaching staff was predicting. Whether it be the crucial slip and penalty miss by John Terry in the Moscow final of 2008 under Avram Grant, the shocking refereeing decisions by Tom Henning Ovrebo versus Barcelona in 2009 under Hiddink, the cruel elimination of Ancelotti’s Premier League champions by a Samuel Eto’o goal in 2010 against Internazionale and Mourinho, Chelsea were due a dose of good fortune. Under Di Matteo, who inspired stunning comebacks versus Napoli and Barcelona, in the most unlikely of circumstances, lady luck was finally shining down on Chelsea Football Club.
Team Analysis
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| How the two teams lined up |
This was an extremely open tie, during which strange and uncharacteristic individual errors cost Bayern a comfortable victory. Mario Gomez in particular had a very poor game, failing to seize upon the space and opportunities afforded to him. Had he been as clinical as a 41-goal season man should be, Bayern would have surely won the game. Overall, Bayern controlled the game, with 55% possession. Toni Kroos and Bastian Schweinsteiger were supreme in midfield, conducting the tempo of the game and dictating the passages of play exquisitely. Both teams on paper lined up in 4-2-3-1 formations, however in reality at times Bayern played a 4-2-4 and Chelsea often reverted to a 4-4-1-1 formation, a reaction to being on the back-foot for large parts of the game. Chelsea rarely tested Manuel Neuer and it looked as if they had lost a war of attrition against Bayern after holding out until the 83rd minute. The amount of shots Bayern had is misleading though, as they only tested Cech on a few occasions; they were wasteful after finding great attacking positions. Ribery had a surprisingly quiet game and Robben was largely nullified. Chelsea were set up to counter attack, yet Bayern did not over-commit men forward, and as such were never truly stretched by Chelsea. Jupp Heynckes got it tactically spot-on it must be said, whilst Di Matteo did a fantastic job in rebuffing the Bayern set up, utilising the players at his disposal to good effect.
Five minutes after conceding to a Thomas Muller backpost header in the 83rd minute, Chelsea equalized from a corner. Interestingly this was Chelsea’s single corner of the tie, in comparison to Bayern’s twenty attempts. These statistics don’t bode well for Bayern, and speak volumes about Chelsea’s work on the training ground. It was a tie in which it was likely Chelsea were going to have to be proficient with set pieces, and the way Drogba found space for the equaliser from their only corner displayed the type of opportunism you would expect of a German side rather than an English team.
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| Di Matteo becomes the first Italian manager to win the Champions League with a foreign team |
Key Battles
Didier Drogba vs. Bayern Munich Defence
It is fair to say Bayern Munich were well aware of the threat Didier Drogba possesses. With the German international centre-back Holger Badstuber suspended, Jerome Boateng was partnered by Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, who is naturally a holding midfielder. Diego Contento was the stand-in at left back for the suspended (and superb) Daniel Alaba. On occasion Drogba, attempting to unbalance the defence, positioned himself in a pocket of space between Contento and Boateng, or Lahm and Tymoshchuk, meaning Bastian Schweinsteiger was often pinned back deeper than would be ideal, to counteract Drogba should he control the ball. This was a clever ploy by a seasoned centre forward, and it led on one occasion to the overlapping Salomon Kalou at right wing finding space vacated by the Italian Contento, who had become preoccupied by marking Drogba. This was especially evident when Kalou was played into space and hit a rasping drive at Manuel Neuer; a chance which could easily have led to a goal. Bayern would have been victims of their own caution here, but perhaps it was a calculated risk; which in actuality paid off as Drogba struggled for any sort of freedom in open play, and Kalou was wasteful. Drogba had an exhausting 120 minutes, often finding himself outnumbered.
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| Drogba rarely found time and space on the ball |
Ashley Cole & Ryan Bertrand vs. Phillip Lahm & Arjen Robben
Di Matteo put faith in Ryan Bertrand, who made his Champions League debut in the biggest game club football has to offer. It was a surprising inclusion, but as the game developed it became clear what Di Matteo’s thought process was behind the selection. Bertrand, a natural left-back, played in front of Ashley Cole. In reality though Bertrand was almost a wing back, assisting Cole in doubling up on Robben when possible, whilst also attempting to contain Lahm’s lung-busting runs. It was relatively successful for the 73 minutes Bertrand played for, with Robben’s fifteen shots predominantly coming from long-range. Robben’s best chance came when he switched to the left wing and burst into the box, seeing his stinging drive denied by a superb Cech save onto the post.
Additionally, looking at the statistics, of the 15 crosses originating on the right hand side of midfield for Bayern, not a single one reached its intended target. Many of these misplaced passes can be put down to the restricted space afforded by Cole and Bertrand. This statistic can also be attributed to Chelsea’s aerial dominance if not Bayern's inaccurate passing. Chelsea won 65% of their aerial duels, as opposed to Bayern who won only 35%. This is an impressive statistic as the sides were relatively even in terms of physical stature. Despite arguably being at fault for Muller’s goal, Ashley Cole showed why he has been considered the best left back in world football for a number of years. It was a tactic borne out of fear of Robben and Lahm, but Bertrand cannot be displeased with how he and Cole dealt with two of the best players in the world in their respective positions. Lahm and Robben were the highest passers on the pitch for Bayern aside from Kroos, which shows the prominence of Bayern's attacking down the right side. In fact, 40% of attacking moves from Bayern culminated on the right flank.
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| Ryan Bertrand & Ashley Cole worked extremely hard to counter Lahm & Robben |
Conversely, this over-emphasis on the Bayern right side led to dangerous space opening up between Chelsea’s left side and the centre of defence, to the detriment of David Luiz. Mario Gomez exploited this with his movement, but was uncharacteristically poor in terms of his end product and usually clinical finishing. The exposure of centre-backs Luiz and the impressive Gary Cahill required John Obi Mikel and Frank Lampard to sit deeper, and to be especially wary of forward runs by Schweinsteiger, Kroos and the dynamic Muller. This meant there was occasionally a spare man in attack for Bayern, allowing Muller unprecedented space in and around the Chelsea box, behind Lampard and Mikel. It is fortunate for Chelsea that the finishing instincts of Gomez eluded him on this night of all nights.
Defensive organisation
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| Cech and his defence were superb |
Often Robben was manoeuvred into a crowd of players and many of his 15 shots were in fact optimistic and off-balance efforts. Incredibly, Chelsea blocked 21 of Bayern’s 43 shots in the 120 minutes. Much like against Barcelona, the Chelsea defenders were very rigid and didn't lose their shape. This meant they were often tightly positioned and successfully able to block just under half of Bayern’s efforts, an impressive statistic. Bayern deployed four up front for periods of the game, leading Mikel and Lampard to revert to disciplined holding midfielders in an attempt to avoid being overrun. It must be noted that Mikel’s contribution to Chelsea’s success and his unexpectedly impressive performances over the last three or four months have been phenomenal.
Top Performers
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| Muller looks to have scored a late winner |
Muller and Cech were the main contenders for man of the match, with Cech edging it. Muller found space between the Chelsea holding midfielders and often found himself goal side of Lampard. He sometimes plays as a right winger, and his instincts often led him to attack slightly to the right side. Mikel on one occasion followed him wide, which left acres of space free in the centre, and unsurprisingly Schweinsteiger exploited this with a barnstorming run into space and an effort on goal. Muller eventually found some fatally vacated space behind Ashley Cole, and perfectly powered his header into the ground and past Cech in a flash. It must be added it was a wonderful pass from Toni Kroos, who was the top passer on the pitch, with 111 passes. Chelsea’s most efficient passer was Lampard with 81, showing the disparity in terms of possession. In the 20 minutes preceding the goal, Muller had been wielding his influence with 5 efforts on goal, also drawing a yellow card from a desperate challenge by Mikel. He floated around ‘between the lines’ and was virtually impossible to mark, culminating in him ghosting in for the opener. He looked like he would be the catalyst for a Bayern opener, and so he was. However, once ahead, Jupp Heynckes made what appears to have been a costly decision, albeit with logical consideration. He took off Muller, and threw the sizeable Daniel Van Buyten on to defend the final 10 minutes of normal time. Di Matteo reacted, unleashing the much maligned Fernando Torres for Kalou, as Chelsea went all out for an equaliser which eventually came from a corner. After Drogba’s bullet header, reminiscent of a similar header he scored in the recent African Cup of Nations, it was extra time.
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| Drogba celebrates his bullet header, taking the game to extra time |
Extra Time
Chelsea found a second-wind during extra time, at times spraying the ball around immaculately. But tactically they lost shape, and chances on goal didn’t materialise. Bayern shifted back to a 4-2-3-1 with Kroos moving forward into Muller's position and the position he is more comfortable in, with Tymoshchuk moving to his more familiar defensive-midfield position. Bayern had two glorious chances to go ahead. Firstly, Drogba, who was asked to defend from the right in alternation with Torres, clumsily clipped Franck Ribery in the box; a classic case of ‘tired legs, tired mind’. It was Drogba’s second needless penalty conceded in his last two Champions League ties. But, astonishingly, Cech saved. When watching the replay it seemed as though the ball was wedged between Cech and the turf as he saved it (pictured below), and yet somehow it didn’t squeeze into the net. Gary Neville was right, it was surely Chelsea's time. After Ivica Olic came on for the injured Ribery, he was found unmarked in the box, producing a shot-cross which unfortunately fell in front of the defensive minded Van Buyten. A striker with goalscoring instincts probably would have been on the end of Olic’s ball, but instead it was agonising viewing for Bayern fans. It would head to penalties.
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| Cech saves Robben's extra time penalty |
Penalties
Cech was the hero, Schweinsteiger the unfortunate, but never the villain to the Bayern faithful. Robben, disappointingly, didn’t have the character to step up to avenge his earlier missed penalty. In contrast, Neuer deserves huge credit for the bravery he showed, taking and scoring a penalty. Olic’s demeanour suggested he wasn’t confident and he subsequently saw his penalty saved by Cech. Ashely Cole capitalised on Olic's woes, and evened up the shoot-out. For a product of the youth system at Bayern and a true fan favourite, what followed will eternally haunt Schweinsteiger and invoke many a nightmare. He was superb in 120 minutes of play, overseeing Bayern's play and controlling the midfield, defending astutely and bursting forward to assist Mario Gomez at times. He displayed why he is arguably the best box-to-box midfielder in the modern game. Lampard vs. Schweinsteiger has been and was again a key battle, and whilst Schweinsteiger undoubtedly had the better game, Lampard’s grit and never-say-die mentality ended up flourishing in the final. It was a complete reversal of the emotions of the Bloemfontaine World Cup 2010 match for Lampard and Schweinsteiger, when Germany put England to the sword in a 4-1 walloping. Unfortunately this time for 'Schweini', he missed the crucial penalty in the shoot-out. Lampard had previously displayed bravery and took his penalty with composure, hammering his penalty straight down the middle, despite Neuer’s attempts to put him off.
And so it was, Drogba would step up for the match winning penalty. He seemed ice cool, and summoning all the experience he has gained over the years; cemented his reputation as one of the great strikers of his generation by placing it past the imposing figure of Neuer. 9 goals in 9 major cup finals is an incredible statistic, the textbook definition of what to expect from a big-game player. Watching on, it felt inevitable that Drogba, so often at the centre of the drama on a football pitch, would win the shoot-out. He did, and unprecedented elation followed amongst the Chelsea players and fans alike. It would be an apt way for Drogba to bow out of his Chelsea career, but this famous night was also evidence of what a great loss he would be, and how irreplaceable his qualities are.
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| Distraught Bayern Munich players, after the penalty shoot-out loss |
Man of the Match
Petr Cech was man of the match. He made a crucial save in the first half, tipping onto the post from a Robben drive. He was effective with his distribution, and commanding in his box. His penalty save from Robben's effort in extra time was of unquantifiable importance, and potentially convinced some Chelsea players that this was their trophy. Of the 6 penalties he faced, he dived the right way for all them, saving 3. He had clearly done his pre-match preparation analysing the different penalty takers and their probable target zones. This was a colossal performance from Cech, who having received a bit of criticism in the last few seasons is definitely back to his best. Thomas Muller was also a contender and will be devastated his goal did not decide matters, and that painfully he was denied the opportunity to influence extra time and penalties.
Juan Mata contributed a phenomenal amount in terms of ground covered, running 16,123 metres, the highest of any player. He was often chasing shadows though and had the task of pressurising Kroos and Schweinsteiger, an unenviable task and probable reason he covered so much ground.
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| Cech: Man of the Match |
Summary
Statistically, Bayern were undoubtedly the superior side, dominating possession with 55% to Chelsea's 45%, and having 35 shots to Chelsea's 9. They won more tackles, with 28 tackles compared to Chelsea's 24. It is highly probable that with Mario Gomez displaying his usual prowess it would been a fairytale victory in their home stadium for the Bayern Munich players and fans. But Chelsea were dogged, and defended with true heart. As the curtain came down on an astounding night in Munich, it was at last Chelsea’s time to be crowned Champions of Europe.
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| An emotional Drogba on his way to embrace Cech after scoring the winning penalty |
Match Stats (BBC)
