It went to the wire, but Chelsea become the first London club to win the UEFA Champions League. The game finished 1-1 after extra time and the dreaded penalty shoot-out would have to be the way to settle to two sides. It was quickly advantage Bayern Munich when Juan Mata's opening penalty was saved after Philipp Lahm had scored.
But Ashley Cole planted his effort into the corner after substitute Ivica Olic had had his penalty saved to make it 3-3, Mario Gomez, David Luiz, Manuel Neuer and Frank Lampard had also all converted by that stage. Bastian Schweinsteiger then saw his effort rebound off the post, allowing Chelsea's cup hero, Didier Drogba, to score the winning penalty and give Roman Abramovich what he had been searching for since his takeover.
For long periods of the game, it wasn't looking like it was going to be Chelsea's year. Neuer was very much a spectator for the majority of the game as Chelsea played a very defensive, a la Barcelona, style of football. Their negativity almost looked like it would cost them when Thomas Muller headed a cross past Petr Cech with seven minutes remaining.
Overall, Chelsea's defending had been top class throughout the night and deserved something from the game. Drogba then forced the game into extra time when he headed a Mata corner home in the final minute of normal time. But the hero almost became the villain four minutes into the extra time when he tripped Franck Ribery. Former Chelsea man, Arjen Robben, stepped up but he penalty was weak was easily saved by Cech. From there the game looked to peter out into that dramatic penalty shoot-out.
Chelsea surely have to look to Roberto Di Matteo as a full time manager. In his brief spell in 'interim' charge, he has already brought two trophies to Stamford Bridge and would definitely be looking to build on that next season.
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