By JUSTIN FERGUSON
After weeks of anticipation, the biggest day in European club soccer is finally here.
Today, German powerhouses Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund square off at London’s Wembley Stadium for the right to be called Champions of Europe.
Bayern Munich can already call themselves Champions of Germany after one of the most dominating league campaigns in recent European history. After falling short of the Bundesliga title and the Champions League title last season, the Bavarians outscored their league opponents 98-18 and finished 25 points ahead of former champions. In addition to their outstanding domestic league performance, Bayern also found their way back to the German Cup Final, which they will play a week from today.
But more importantly, Bayern must get through their biggest rivals on the biggest stage of them all on Saturday. Although they fell to Bayern by one goal in their German Cup and Super Cup meetings, Dortmund drew with the league champions in both of their Bundesliga matches. Dortmund also had the upper hand on Bayern heading into this season—they won all three meetings in their 2011-12 domestic double campaign.
If you will be watching today’s action at Wembley, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Very very good!
Flat out fantastic game.
Monkey off the back!
Eat up time…
Robben redeems himself in a very big way in the big match.
Agreed. Awesome game from him
Why did Subotic go on his knees at the top of the box, if he kept his feet he might have had another goal line clearance
And that is why Robben is such a valuable player….
Ok, is Weidenfeller American? Because this is some of the best GK’ing I’ve seen in my soccer viewing life.
…and I just completely jinxed him. -_-
Myyyyy bad.
Laughing…
he was the MotM for much of the match
That was close!
I doubt Lewandowski will see any punishment for his obvious stomp on Boateng or Ribery for his elbow in the first half. At least we have a mechanism for review in MLS, even if the consistency could be improved.
Faces of the supporters say it all…
Scarface!
Lewabdoski stomps om Boateng. Not sure the official saw that, but that’s three clear cut reds.
I get that he doesn’t want the scrutiny of sending someone off in a big game, but warren Barton said it best, how is Dante still on the pitch?
Stomp is a bit much.
Did he step on his foot after their feet were tangled? Yes. Did he use his whole body weight? No.
While he could have avoided Boeteng’s ankle, perhaps, Boateng chose to go 100% into his body and lose his footing, rendering him on the ground, tangled with Lewandoski’s feet.
I personally didn’t see malice after seeing people truly being “stomped” on worthy of red cards
Ribery is such a scumbag.
First half, elbows Lewandoski in the face, intentionally. Flops when Subotic and he collide on a 50/50. Blatant theatrics as if he were pulled down in the box, when he intentionally locks arms with Gündoğan and then has the nerve to get in the Gündoğan’s face after.
Absolutely scumbag.
Always thought he’d have a great career in French gangster movies…
Italian league?
*I’m sorry, I had the wrong player. It was, “Großkreutz”.
This game is a blast
Yep it is good!
Where is the ref from?
Italy
Well that was some kind of play by Subotic there
Cue the lament of losing Neven Subotic…
He’s played very well so far today… what could’ve been!
Wow…
It’s that I don’t want to burn my career sending someone off during a big game thing….
What a joke this ref is.
That’s a second yellow every day of the week. Bayern should be two men down.
It’s even – Ribery should be gone too. He kept the game cooking along
I meant to say “Even Ribery…” but I’d rather 9within reason) keep the game at full strength. More entertaining.
Who is the guy on the sideline with cap perched sideways?
Dante. You’re an idiot.
Well that was stupid
Now it gets interesting…..
Goal!
Robben to Mandzukic
Evenly poised and there should have been 2 or 3 slotted in already…just shows what a knife edge the game can be played on. Really enjoying it down here in Wollongong.
Great game so far. Robben has missed three golden opportunities. You could see it was starting to eat at him. And Dortmund have had their chances. Second half could be epic.
I like to smack Robben around, but he has worked his butt off and that last chance was pure guile muscle and smarts to get that shot off. Too bad the chin was in the way…
Terrific first half.
What do you think?
Loved Gus describing robben’s left as his weaker foot.
He has another?
39th min. Bayern very menacing over the last 5-10 min
Robben butchers the best chance in the game. In alone against Weidenfeller.
Drinking game my friends and I came up with…every time Gus screams “in the area!!!” Take a shot…
Two incredibly close chances for Bayern, just after Ribery elbows Lewandowski in midfield. Ribery could’ve been sent off by some refs. Now 28th min
That’s a red card. End of story. Big controversy already.
Bayern should be a man down.
Some refs would have given red, but this guy does not even give it a yellow. Riber’s elbow shows how frustrated he is by the great Dortmund defense.
Neuer coming up HUGE. Another save! 22min
Interesting opening…
Jakub Blaszczykowski having an absolutely stunning start to the match. 18th min
Lewandowski with a shot from distance. Comfortable for Neuer
Bayern very measured in the opening 13 mins. Not taking too many risks. Carefully feeling out the game
BD trying to unsettle them…
wow this non-hd broadcast is atrocious.
Where are these two teams sitting in the Bundesliga…is that the correct spelling?
Bayern won the Bundesliga by a country mile. BvB came in second
Bayern 91 points
BvB 66 points
Let’s lay off Gus today. None of the other commentators in the pregame did well with German names either.
Nah — he’s open to criticism just like all of ’em. Or he can back out of such important soccer broadcasts.
And we are away!
What channel is this on!?
Fox.
Pre game sword fight?
Should be interesting for BvB. So many of their players are transfer targets for other wealthy clubs. Goetze is already gone, Reus, Lewandowski, Hummels…
Maybe they win the big one before the whole team gets split up?
That should be a lot of funds to reinvest.
In this match-up, I certainly consider them to be the underdog…so they have my support.
Brad Friedel has good broadcasting presence
For a Brit, he sure does have a hint of an American accent.
ha! was going to say, he’s the perfect commentator: american for the usmnt crowd, british accent for the anglophiles.
Finalist, Quip of the Year contest
You try living somewhere for a decade or two and see if you don’t start to talk like the majority around you. I live in the south and it only takes people from Canada about three months before they start saying “y’all”.
Go Bayern!!
Hope Subotic is at fault for every Bayern goal.
+1 you rued the day you crossed me, Subotic!
“Oh, he was definitely at fault….for preventing a certain goal.”
-A.Robben
“I smoked you Subotic thanks for the free walk in game winning Goal”
-Robben
“We smoked to your goal, fellow countryman!”
-Amsterdam Residents
You do realize Thomas Rongen is the reason Subotic isn’t playing for the US now, no???
Some folks have short memory.
No Subotic is the reason he is not playing for the US. You are going to hold it against “your” country and every coach in the US system because of what one U- whatever coach did?
What did Bradley do to him?
He just used it as an excuse to go play for Serbia
Spent a few years in Yugoslavia… then a few years in Germany….
Um, he moved to the US when he was 11…. I doubt he feels at home anywhere.
Also.. Rossi left the US when he was 12, you are basically saying You want Subotic to do to Bosnia what Rossi did to the US.
Don’t be spiteful Mike R.