Independent:
Drogba's dink leads Chelsea into promised land
Bayern Munich 1 Chelsea 1 (aet; Chelsea win 4-3 on penalties):
Long-serving striker is man for the big occasion yet again with late match-saving goal before staying cool to put away the winning penalty in shoot-out
Steve Tongue
It was not exactly 1999 all over again but like Manchester United on that occasion, Chelsea were last night partying at the expense of a stunned Bayern Munich, who again felt they had one hand if not their colours on the European Cup. This time a penalty shoot-out was required and for once a German side lost one; blue was the colour after Didier Drogba, with what was almost certainly his last kick for the club, converted the winning kick to complete one of the most extraordinary of his 300-plus Chelsea games.
Thomas Müller had headed Bayern in front with eight minutes to play, prompting celebrations among what was essentially and unfairly a home crowd. Then Drogba carved out the most unexpected of equalisers to take the game to extra-time and beyond, conceding a penalty himself along the way that the heroic Petr Cech saved from his old team-mate Arjen Robben.
Roman Abramovich was among the crowd to see his billion-pound adventure reach the point he had always wanted, if not in the grand manner he had hoped for. He even got to hold up the trophy himself after Roberto di Matteo led his exhausted troops to the top of the main stand to receive their medals, knowing that for him, too, this may have been the last supper.
The trophy was first lifted by John Terry, one of four Chelsea players who had been foolishly suspended. As both sides were missing two first-choice defenders, some pundits had expected one of the more high-scoring finals. But Di Matteo's side defended stubbornly for most of the match, with Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill outstanding.
So Bayern were somehow denied a fifth European title in their ninth final, this one in their home city where only Norwich City, of 16 English visitors, had previously beaten them. The threat down both flanks posed by Robben and Franck Ribèry was just about kept at bay by some tenacious covering and doubling-up involving the wide midfield players Salomon Kalou and Ryan Bertrand.
The latter had the day of his 22-year-old life in collecting a Champions' League winner's medal in his first European game. In one of the tactical ploys that all seem to have gone his way, Di Matteo brought the young defender in to play in front of Cole, only sacrificing him late in the game for Florent Malouda.
Cahill and David Luiz, both of whom were passed fit to stand at the heart of the defence, had their hands full against the prolific Mario Gomez, and overall the traffic was as one-way as roads to the Allianz Arena earlier in the evening.
By half-time Chelsea were happy simply still to be in the contest, and on equal terms of a sort. Their carelessly suspended quartet of Terry – who had started the night a forlorn figure on the touchline and ended it in prancing jubilation – Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles had contributed one third of the team's 24 previous goals in the competition and playing a young full-back in midfield on his European debut was not designed to improve scoring power.
Robben often drifted across to the inside-left channel, from where he twice came close to finding a way through as pressure intensified midway through the half. In the 18th minute he struck a volley from Toni Kroos's corner that was deflected wide and shortly afterwards he hit a low shot that bounced off Cech's leg and on to a post.
By the interval the London side had produced two shots to Bayern's 13. The first did not materialise until the 33rd minute, when Juan Mata's free-kick sailed high over the crossbar, and the only one on target came three minutes before the break, Drogba and Frank Lampard setting up Kalou, who forced Manuel Neuer to work for the first time.
To be fair, Cech was not overworked, even if he was glad to see Müller's volley fly wide, then grateful to Luiz and Cole right at the start of the second half for solid blocks from Ribèry and Robben respectively. Soon he was beaten, but Ribèry was clearly offside as the ball broke to him from Cole's deflection of another Robben shot. Fortunately the smoke swirling around from the home supporters' flares did not obscure the assistant referee's view.
Attacking (theoretically) the end behind which their 17,000 followers were massed, Chelsea were struggling to test a Bayern defence pierced five times in last weekend's German Cup final by Borussia Dortmund and also missing two key players.
With eight minutes to play, matters seemed settled when Kroos crossed from the left and Müller was at the far post to head the ball down into the ground and off the underside of the bar past a despairing Cech.
Drogba, however, had come alive and with two minutes remaining he rose imperiously to head in Mata's corner, Neuer managing only to lay one hand on the ball. Early in extra-time Drogba seemed to have thrown his good work away by tripping Ribèry but Cech, having faced countless penalties from Robben in training, guessed right to block it.
The shoot-out was held at the Bayern end of the stadium and the Germans were ahead when Mata's kick was saved, before contriving to lose it. Cech saved from Ivica Olic, then Bastian Schweinsteiger missed, Drogba having the last, astounding word after successful kicks by Luiz, Lampard and Cole. London had a European Cup at last at the 28th attempt, with Chelsea now able to compete in the next one at the expense of Tottenham, who are harshly demoted to the Europa League.
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Lahm, Tymoshchuk, Boateng, Contento; Kroos, Schweinsteiger; Robben, Müller (Van Buyten, 86), Ribèry (Olic, 97); Gomez.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Mikel, Lampard; Kalou (Torres, 83), Mata, Bertrand (Malouda, 73); Drogba.
Referee Pedro Proenca.
Man of the match Cole (Chelsea).
Match rating 7/10.
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Telegraph:
Bayern Munich 1 Chelsea 1 aet; (Chelsea win 4-3 on pens)
By Duncan White, Munich
It came down to this: Didier Drogba standing alone, facing the vast banks of the whistling Bayern Munich fans. This was his moment to make history.
In goal Manuel Neuer stood imposingly tall, stretching up to rattle the bar. Into that wall of noise, Drogba strode forward and struck the ball low and to his left. With what could prove his last kick of a ball in a Chelsea shirt, Drogba won the European Cup.
Frank Lampard and John Terry hoisted the trophy together as those Bayern players and supporters who could stomach it, watched on in disbelief. This was the fitting finale to European campaign that has stretched credibility.
Chelsea were written off in Naples, were given the longest of odds with 10 men in Barcelona and were a minute away from defeat here in the Allianz Arena, having been thoroughly outplayed by a classy Bayern side.
Yet the German club had wasted chance after chance before finally going a goal up with eight minutes to go thanks to Thomas Müller.
Chelsea had little more than faith to cling to. But it was enough. Drogba rose to smash in a header from Juan Mata’s corner with 89 minutes played to send the game into extra time.
For the Bayern fans there were ominous echoes of their dramatic capitulation to Manchester United in 1999.
Arjen Robben then missed a penalty for Bayern, recklessly conceded by Drogba, and Bayern continued to miss chance after chance as Chelsea crept closer to the shoot out.
It was a triumph of bloody-minded refusal to capitulate, and with it Chelsea have taken their place among the European aristocracy, become the 22nd club to win the European Cup.
In a season when the likes of Lampard, Drogba and Ashley Cole were told they were finished, past it, they produced their greatest victory of all.
Surely now Roberto di Matteo must be given the job of leading this Chelsea team into next season, his players gave everything for him, fighting through cramp and exhaustion to defy Bayern in their own stadium.
Roman Abramovich, who was seen clapping and signing along with the fans as they celebrated as secured his treasured ambition and the man that delivered it will surely be rewarded.
Even in the shoot out, Chelsea had to come from behind. Philipp Lahm had already converted Bayern’s first penalty when Juan Mata saw his effort saved by Manuel Neuer.
Both sides kept scoring until Bayern’s fourth effort, when Petr Cech plunged to his left to claw away Ivica Olic’s effort.
Ashley Cole whipped his effort past Neuer and then Cech pulled off his second heroic save, pushing Bastian Schweinsteiger’s effort against the foot of the post.
Some of the Chelsea players thought that was it, the tension clearly getting to them as they ran onto the pitch in premature celebration. The calmer heads called them back. Drogba still had to apply the coup de grace.
As his team-mates celebrated wildly in front of their own fans, Drogba sought out Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger, seeking to console his vanquished rivals.
The Bayern pair had been superb all game, as Bayern dominated Chelsea but Robben missed a penalty in extra time and Schweinsteiger missed the decisive penalty in the shoot out.
It was a moment of dignified sportsmanship amid the turbulent emotion and recognition of what Bayern had given to this game.
Bayern had begun with an imposing declaration of intent. As the kick off approached, the Bayern end unveiled a huge flag in the shape of the European Cup.
The message on the accompanying banners made it clear: our city, our stadium, our trophy. An act of hubris? For much of the game it appeared a simple statement of fact.
With Robben and Franck Ribery flying, Bayern threatened to overrun a Chelsea team that dropped deeper and deeper. Just as they had in the Nou Camp, though, Chelsea’s defenders hurled themselves in to tackles and blocks.
Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Ashley Cole were superb, slamming the door every time Bayern seemed to push it open.
Luck played its part too. When Cech could only get a boot on to Robben’s low shot in the first half, it squirted up and hit the top of the post. Such are the fine margins between success and failure.
For most of the game Toni Kroos and Schweinsteiger kept weaving the ball around the pitch, keeping Chelsea claustrophobically trapped in their own penalty area, trying to slowly suffocate the fatigued men in blue.
Chelsea’s attacks were sporadic, Drogba getting only fleeting sight of the ball. It took them over half an hour to register their first effort towards goal.
Bayern just kept missing. Mario Gomez could not get the bounce of the ball and Robben’s shooting was all over the place. As the game drew to a close it was the energetic Müller carrying the threat.
Cole was booked for bringing him down on the right after a neat run and then he had a far post header saved by Cech.
You could not say that Chelsea had not been warned. It lent his goal a sense of inevitability. Kroos flighted an in-swinging cross from the corner of the penalty area on the Bayern left.
Müller did not have much of an angle to work with but he deceived Cech by heading directly down into the turf, the ball bouncing up and past the Chelsea goalkeeper. The game was surely up.
This Chelsea team do not know when they are beaten, though. With a minute left, and the Bayern fans celebrating, Chelsea won a corner on the right-hand side and Mata sent a crisp delivery into the near post.
Drogba, soaring through the air, whipped his head through the ball, sending it hurtling in at the near post. The drama was only just beginning.
==============================
Observer:
Chelsea win Champions League on penalties over Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich 1 Müller 83 Chelsea 1 Drogba 88
Daniel Taylor at the Allianz Arena
These are the moments Chelsea will always cherish and never forget. They gave everything and finally, when it was all done, they had the European Cup in their possession and a night that will go straight in at No1 in their list of great triumphs from the Roman Abramovich era.
It was a rare form of euphoria on a night when, just like Moscow four years ago, it came down to the gut-wrenching drama of a penalty shootout. At one stage Bayern Munich were leading 3-1 and the Chelsea players stood in line, heads bowed, fearing the worst. Juan Mata's effort had been saved by Manuel Neuer and at that point Roberto Di Matteo's players knew they were on the brink of walking past the European Cup and not being allowed to touch the silver.
What happened next was extraordinary and went against everything we know about the efficiency of Bundesliga clubs and penalties. Petr Cech started the turnaround by saving from Ivica Olic and with Bayern's next effort Bastian Schweinsteiger's shot came back off the post. David Luiz, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole had all beaten Neuer and suddenly, almost implausibly, it was left to Didier Drogba with probably the last kick of his last match for the club. What a parting gift the Ivorian may have left considering that it was also his 88th-minute goal that had dragged this final into extra time, just as Thomas Müller's goal looked like giving Bayern their fifth victory in this competition.
The trophy was being adorned with red and white ribbons by the time Drogba headed in the equaliser and when it was all over the Bayern players were on their knees. Arjen Robben could barely be lifted from the turf and Schweinsteiger's personal grief had started even before Drogba began the long walk from the centre circle to the penalty area. High in the stands Abramovich could be seen doing that little uncoordinated hop and skip, reminding us that for all the money in the world there is no possible value that can be put on this kind of occasion. Chelsea's owner held Di Matteo in an emotional clinch that makes you wonder how he could possibly now move on the Italian this summer.
This may not be the most exhilarating Chelsea team but nobody can dispute their resolve because those final dramatic moments told only part of the story on a night when Cech also saved Robben's penalty in the first period of extra time. Chelsea's goalkeeper seemed to fill the entire goal at times and probably had legitimate claims to be recognised as the most heroic figure. There were, however, plenty of contenders.
What should not be overlooked is that Bayern are formidable opponents on this ground, with only two home defeats here in the Bundesliga, 49 goals scored and six conceded. They played with great adventure, attacking from the flanks. On one side, Robben was an indefatigable opponent, picking up the ball from deep positions and driving forward. On the other, Franck Ribéry was a constant menace until he was injured in the foul by Drogba that gave Robben the chance to win the game against his former club. It was a silly trip from Drogba and Robben struck his penalty cleanly enough, low to Cech's left. Cech smothered the shot and was first to the loose ball and for the first time you could detect the nerves from the end where Bayern's most beery, boisterous fans had produced a banner before kick-off describing the cup as unser pokal – our trophy.
Chelsea had to endure some intense pressure. Not quite as relentless as the two legs of their semi-final against Barcelona but fairly unremitting all the same. Once again, they had to defend with great togetherness and commitment and their opponents were left to wonder how on earth they had not turned their superiority into goals. With some better finishing, the game would never have reached extra time. Even then, Olic will wonder how he missed the chance that fell to him, unchallenged, after 108 minutes of mostly one-sided action.
Chelsea, in stark contrast, rarely threatened the opposition's goal but it was probably inevitable when two-thirds of the stadium was bedecked in red and their opponents had so many accomplished players. This was a patched-up side in many ways, with John Terry watching from the stands, another three players suspended and two centre-backs coming back from month-long layoffs. David Luiz and Gary Cahill were outstanding. Cole showed, once again, that he is one of the great big-game footballers and behind them they had a goalkeeper delivering a giant performance.
Chelsea may not have offered a great deal going forward but they played as though affronted by the suggestion that Terry's absence would play a critical part.
Their tactics were epitomised by Ryan Bertrand's involvement on the left of midfield, often doubling up with Cole so that Chelsea effectively had two full-backs in close proximity to Robben. In midfield, Lampard curbed his natural attacking instincts to play a more conservative role alongside Mikel John Obi. Di Matteo had set up Chelsea to play very much as the "away" team, meaning Drogba was often isolated in attack. In the end, you would have to say the manager got it spot on.
Their resistance broke only once, on 83 minutes, when Müller stole in behind Cole to score with a stooping header. A lesser side would have hoisted the white flag but what has become very apparent since Di Matteo took over from André Villas-Boas is that is not the way of this Chelsea team. Mata's corner was whipped across the penalty area and Drogba was fast and decisive, flashing his header into the top corner.
Then the penalties arrived and with their first three attempts, Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez and, remarkably, Neuer, all scored. At that stage who could have imagined Terry would be walking up the steps to help Lampard lift the trophy?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/gallery/2012/may/19/champions-league-final-gallery
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Mail:
Chelsea refuse to buckle and now rule all Europe
By Patrick Collins
Bayern 1 Chelsea 1 (AET; 1-1 after 90 mins; Chelsea win 4-3 on penalties)
The banners waved, the chants resounded and a stunning victory was celebrated on this astonishing Bavarian evening. The banners were royal blue, the chants were born in London Town, and the victory belonged to Chelsea.
For 120 minutes, during which they were frequently outplayed, often outclassed and almost overwhelmed, Chelsea clung to their belief in miracles.
Even when they seemed lost beyond recall - with two minutes of normal time remaining, when losing by 3-1 in a penalty shootout - there was a slim strand of belief which ran through the team in blue and insisted against all the odds and all the evidence: This is our year.
They clung to that shred, as if fearful of letting go. And when Didier Drogba rolled the winning penalty into a corner of the Bayern net, their conviction found outrageous reward. The side which had defended for their lives and ridden their luck against Barcelona, delivered a performance of equal fortune and equal merit in Bayern's fortress.
Time and again they seemed buried beyond recall, and time and again they kicked off the lid of the coffin. And having survived so much and believed so fiercely, they were then required to beat a German team on penalties, a feat which has evaded generations of English teams. But they passed their final test, just as they had passed all the others.
Few would suggest that the new champions are the best football team in Europe. But few could deny that Chelsea are the team who most avidly desired that crown.
Their fans seemed almost bemused as they launched their celebrations. Major titles are not won in such a fashion; without possession, territory or more than a smattering of genuine chances. But on they ploughed in the Micawberish hope that something would turn up. And shortly before midnight in Munich, that something arrived.
The fans had prepared themselves for the worst. All day they had been drifting across the city throughout the day; drinking, speculating, arguing, singing, then drinking some more. There remained a mild sense of surprise that these teams had scrambled through to the final while the world and his brother had preparing for a monumental collision between Madrid and Barcelona.
But form seemed ready to assert itself in the early stages. Bayern's bright opening, marred only by a senseless yellow card for handball by Bastian Schweinsteiger, played on the doubts which still floated through the Chelsea ranks. For all their recent revival, this remains a team which lost more than a quarter of its Premier League matches last season, finished 25 points behind the champions and failed to qualify for Europe through League position. Confidence is inevitably fragile.
Chelsea's instincts are primarily defensive, and as Bayern's passing became more progressive, so the English side retreated; throwing up barriers of bodies, cutting down space, looking only for sneak retaliation of the sort that served them well against Barcelona. And, like Barcelona, they were assisted in their schemes by Bayern finishing.
Their chances began to blossom from the 21st minute, when Petr Cech was asked to make an efficient save from Arjen Robben. They then came in alarming profusion; Thomas Muller volleying wide, Mario Gomez snatching at a cross from short range and, in 42 minutes, the worst miss of all, as Gomez hoicked Robben's pass hopelessly high with the goal on offer.
So Chelsea survived to half-time, and a vague suspicion seemed to harden among their numbers. When a side which has been emphatically superior squanders chance upon chance, it is reasonable to wonder if this might be your night, your moment, your trophy. We awaited a second half which was pregnant with possibilities.
The Chelsea successes had virtually announced themselves. Ashley Cole and central defenders Gary Cahill and David Luiz had worked hard at containment, while John Obi Mikel in the holding role was the pick of the bunch; neat, discerning and endlessly influential. Yet they had to be something better. They had to start posing problems instead of ceaselessly seeking to solve them.
The need was for nerve and flair and an intelligent sense of adventure, the kind of assets which the best teams regard as standard equipment. And their nerves were not eased when Franck Ribery found the net, albeit from an offside position early in the half. The Chelsea fans fell strangely silent for moments on end, aware of their team's predicament, willing them to survive. At the other end of the vast arena, the roars of Bayern took on a tinge of anxiety: what if all this control should count for nothing? It was precisely the kind of atmosphere in which a European final ought to be contested.
Yet, implausibly, Bayern's pressure increased. Chance followed half-chance followed general alarm. Robben took more corners than Lewis Hamilton. The red-shirted patrons of those soaring tiers behind the Bayern goal seemed to be trying to suck the ball into the Chelsea net, the way Liverpool's Kop used to do for Bill Shankly's teams.
And then, in the 83rd minute, the dam broke. A fine goal, too. Toni Kroos unfolded yet another cross to the far post where the leaping Muller met it with a firm downward header. Having held or parried every other attempt throughout the evening, Cech could only wave this one through.
The stadium detonated in a fury of sound. The stadium announcer orchestrated the bedlam. Bayern placed a hand upon the trophy.
Then Juan Mata took a corner on the right, Drogba met it with fierce precision and equality was achieved. Slowly, with weird inevitability, astonishing events began to unfold. Robben missed a critical penalty, the match turned several improbable somersaults. And the world started to turn blue. Chelsea blue.
=============================
Mirror:
Bayern Munich 1-1 Chelsea (Chelsea win 4-3 on pens) : Drogba seals Champions League with final spot kick
By Simon Mullock
Chelsea have finally been crowned Champions of Europe after a dramatic penalty shoot out against Bayern Munich
Didier Drogba fired home the crucial shoot-out penalty to make Chelsea champions of Europe at last.
In a night of high drama at the Allianz Arena, Roberto Di Matteo’s men looked to be heading for defeat after Thomas Muller had given Bayern the lead after 83 minutes.
But Drogba saved the day again with an equaliser two minutes from time.
With no further goals in extra time, the Blues proved that Germans can be beaten on penalties.
Petr Cech had already saved an Arjen Robben spot-kick in extra time.
Then he denied Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger in the shoot-out.
Juan Mata missed for Di Matteo’s men, but David Luiz, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole all hit the target before Drogba wrote another chapter in the Stamford Bridge history books.
This was supposed to be a neutral venue. Try telling that to the 17,500 Chelsea fans in the south end of the Allianz Arena surrounded by a sea of Bayern red.
Chelsea’s four suspended players tried to stay involved, John Terry, Raul Meireles, Branislav Ivanovic and Ramires all suited and booted in the dug-out alongside Di Matteo.
Their disappointment must have been magnified by the sight of 22-year-old Ryan Bertrand starting a Champions League tie for the first timee.
After defying the odds to overcome Napoli and Barcelona, beating Bayern on their own soil would allow them to lay claim to the greatest European campaign of them all.
But from the moment Schweinsteiger’s shot was deflected over by Gary Cahill’s block, it was clear Di Matteo’s plan was containment. Toni Kroos shot wide before Philipp Lahm’s quick throw and Muller’s speed of thought presented Mario Gomez with a sight of Cech’s goal.
The striker hesitated and as the ball escaped from his control, Jose Bosingwa was fortunate not to put through his own goal.
When Cech diverted Robben’s low strike on to the post with an ugly combination of boot and fist it seemed only a matter of time before Bayern broke through.
Mata finally came up with an effort on goal but his floated free-kick had the Bayern fans ducking.
At least the Blues were carrying some threat now and Salomon Kalou tested Manuel Neuer with a raking drive after Cole, Drogba and Lampard had linked up. But Gomez would have scored if he had controlled Franck Ribery’s miscued volley six yards from goal.
And the Bayern striker blundered again when he fooled Cahill but blazed over.
Only once has a team lifted the European Cup on enemy territory, Liverpool beating Roma on penalties in the Eternal City 28 years ago.
But it needed Cole’s early intervention to prevent Robben’s cross from finding Muller after the Dutchman had torn past Luiz.
Bayern had the ball in Cech’s net in the 54th minute when Ribery fired home after Cole had blocked Robben’s shot, but he was a yard offside.
Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes was growing increasingly agitated on the touchline.
But Cole, in particular, proved reports of his demise are premature and he came to the rescue again to block a Schweinsteiger rocket.
But Bayern finally broke through in the 83rd minute.
Kroos clipped a glorious cross to the far post and Muller leapt above Cole to score with a downward header that bounced over Cech’s hand.
But the lead did not last long. After Di Matteo sent on Fernando Torres for Kalou, the never-say-die Blues levelled in the 88th minute.
Drogba rose above Jerome Boateng to meet Mata’s corner and score with a bullet header that Neuer could only help into the roof of his net.
Bayern got a glorious chance to retake the lead when Ribery tumbled under Drogba’s tackle and referee Pedro Proenca pointed to the spot.
Germans don’t miss penalties – but it was Dutchman Robben who took it and he was foiled by a stunning Cech save.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/chelsea-win-the-champions-league-final-841401
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Sun:
Chelsea win the Champions League
Bayern Munich 1 Chelsea 1 (aet) - Blues win 4-3 on penalties
From PAUL SMITH in Munich
CHELSEA were crowned European champions last night after a dramatic penalty shootout in Germany.
Against ridiculous odds that had seen the Blues face Bayern Munich in their own backyard, they were even forced to take spot-kicks in front of the end housing their rivals’ supporters.
For Blues owner Roman Abramovich, this was not a dream, it was an obsession. In his nine years at Stamford Bridge, he has axed eight managers, signed 66 players and spent over £1billion.
But even the Russian could not have imagined that an ageing squad and a rookie manager would finally bring home the trophy he describes as football’s holy grail.
On a night of tension and excitement, Roberto Di Matteo’s men had looked dead and buried more than once.
Thomas Muller gave Bayern the lead on 83 minutes only for Didier Drogba to level with a powerful header from Juan Mata’s 88th-minute corner.
Striker Drogba then went from hero to villain as he brought down Franck Ribery inside Chelsea’s box in the opening stages of extra-time.
But Petr Cech denied former Blues winger Arjen Robben from the resulting penalty.
The drama did not end there, though, as Chelsea struggled with fatigue, lost the toss as the game went to penalties and were forced to embark on a shootout in front of Bayern’s fans.
Mata missed Chelsea’s first spot-kick to give Bayern the upper hand after Philipp Lahm had opened the scoring.
Mario Gomez made it 2-0 before David Luiz eventually got Chelsea off the mark.
But Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer appeared to put the trophy out of Chelsea’s reach by netting to make it 3-1.
Frank Lampard gave the Blues hope before the drama really unfolded when Cech denied sub Ivica Olic brilliantly and Ashley Cole brought Chelsea level at 3-3.
Then when midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger missed, it was probably only fitting that Drogba, who had carried Chelsea to the final, should bury the crucial kick.
All the early pressure came from Bayern as they attempted to torture Chelsea using the pace of wingers Ribery and Robben.
The first sight of goal fell to Bayern as Toni Kroos unleashed a right-footed drive that flew past Cech’s right-hand post.
Even at an early stage, it was evident Bayern were going to see far more of the ball and Chelsea were likely to rely on quick, counter-attacking football — just like they did against Barcelona in the semi-finals.
Yet it was near suicidal defending from Jose Boswinga that almost handed Bayern the initiative when he made a complete hash of clearing Lampard’s backpass.
It needed a breathtaking save from Cech to deny Robben.
The Dutchman was poised to wheel away in celebration but saw the ball come off the keeper’s leg and divert on to the angle of the post and bar.
If Chelsea were going to overcome a side that had won seven straight home games en route to the final, they were going to do it the hard way.
Muller should have given Bayern the lead, firing wide with a volley from a pinpoint Diego Contento cross.
Chelsea then produced their best move of the half nine minutes before the break.
Drogba cushioned the ball and laid it off to Lampard, who found Salomon Kalou. He strode forward before firing in a shot that Neuer did well to save at his near post.
It brought an instant reaction from Bayern but the outstanding Gary Cahill was equal to Gomez as the striker attempted to turn and get his shot away.
After the break Bayern picked up where they had left off, with Robben ballooning the ball over having raced into Chelsea’s box before Ribery found the net on 54 minutes — only to see his effort ruled out for offside.
Ashley Cole then came to the Blues’ rescue, blocking a goalbound shot from Robben.
Even Chelsea’s talisman Drogba began to sit deep, leaving the Blues with few attacking options when they did manage to clear the ball.
Robben was continuing to play like a man possessed but even he was becoming frustrated by his side’s inability to turn possession into clear-cut chances.
With 12 minutes left, Muller had a great chance to put Bayern ahead but lost his footing and fired wide.
But his luck changed on 83 minutes when his superb downward header beat Cech to make it 1-0.
Di Matteo threw on Fernando Torres for Kalou with six minutes left and, with time running out, they won a corner on the right.
Mata stepped up and his delivery found Drogba, who powered his header home.
But barely minutes into extra-time, Drogba took away Ribery’s legs inside Chelsea’s penalty area.
Robben stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick but Cech came out on top.
Again Bayern came back at Chelsea and should have regained the lead through Olic — but he shot inches wide when unmarked.
The Blues were now playing for penalties, a dangerous tactic given England’s record against German sides and their spot-kick pain against Manchester United in 2008.
Luckily, for Abramovich, his ageing stars had not read the script.
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Express:
BAYERN MUNICH 1 - CHELSEA 1: ROMAN ABRAMOVICH GETS REWARD
By Jim Holden
THE Olympic flame is on its way back to London. It’s been there before. The European Cup is coming to London as well – for the first time in history thanks to Chelsea’s remarkable triumph here last night.
On the night of the last chance for Chelsea’s band of ageing warriors they somehow fashioned glory from a match dominated for long, long periods by Bayern Munich.
The result vindicated the strategy of interim manager Roberto Di Matteo to rely on a Blue Wall of deep defence and chasing goals on rare counter-attacks.
It may not have been easy on the eye for neutrals, but Chelsea won’t care about that. The billion pounds spent by owner Roman Abramovich has won the reward he craved most.
The TV cameras panned onto the face of Abramovich. What was he thinking? He wants stylish football in the manner of Barcelona, yet its very opposite has worked the mightiest trick.
Does he now reward Di Matteo with the full-time manager’s job? Don’t bank on it. With the European Cup claimed, the desire for pretty football at Stamford Bridge will now be the No.1 priority.
That is the oldest truth in the game, whatever tactics you rely on
Can Di Matteo deliver that? He certainly didn’t try here last night, more than happy to win through the dramas of the penalty shoot-out.
This was the unexpected final. All Europe had thought, and the majority had hoped, that it be would be a Classico showdown between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Instead, it was a classic collision of England and Germany.
At least Bayern were trying to play. They passed it searching for a way through Chelsea’s massed defence and fashioned a couple of chances that Mario Gomez and Thomas Muller contrived to send flying high and wide of goal.
Chelsea’s main tactic was long balls punted forward by goalkeeper Petr Cech towards the general direction of Didier Drogba.
Some call this Route One. Some call it pragmatic football. For so long here in the magnificent Allianz Arena, it looked cumbersome and ineffective – a waste of the quality of Drogba.
Both sets of fans watched with more than a little anxiety in their hearts.
Bayern fans have seen this before, the club aiming for its fifth European title to go equal third with Liverpool in the all-time standings, behind only the nine of Real Madrid and seven of AC Milan.
Flares were lit as the players emerged again. Did they inspire like the Olympic torch? No, the smoke hung in the stadium air, an unwelcome fog.
The pattern of the match didn’t alter. Of course it didn’t. Chelsea’s plan to defend deep and hope to capture glory with counter-attacking moves was well set. It has a history of success in European Cup finals through the ages, from Inter Milan in the 1960s to Nottingham Forest’s triumph against Hamburg in 1980.
When it works the manager is reckoned to be a genius. That’s what they said about Brian Clough way back then. When it fails the manager will cop the flak for a craven strategy – and correctly so.
Bayern’s attacks remained insistent, with Muller increasingly influential. It took a couple of excellent interventions from David Luiz to prevent goals before the hour mark.
Luiz and Gary Cahill were both playing after recovering from hamstring injuries. They looked at ease, enabling Chelsea to feel the absence of suspended captain John Terry was not the major blow it might have been in previous seasons.
Terry spoke with former England manager Fabio Capello before the start. Looking at them you wondered if they are now both yesterday’s men.What did Terry think as he watched from the stands?
He would have admired the strength of the Blue Wall, shot after shot from Bayern blocked by willing players.
His emotions will have been mangled, like everyone else, by the dramatic final few minutes of normal time as Muller’s header gave Bayern the lead in the 83rd minute and Drogba sent the match into extra time with his last-gasp header.
He will have known, thinking back to his shoot-out miss in the 2008 final, exactly how Robben felt to fail with the penalty early in extra time after Drogba had fouled Franck Ribery.
You have to take your chances when they come in football. That is the oldest truth in the game, whatever tactics you rely on.
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Star:
BAYERN MUNICH 1 - CHELSEA 1 (AET. CHELSEA WON 4-3 ON PENS):
WE'VE GOT BLUE BOTTLE
By Paul Hetherington
CHELSEA sensationally won the Champions League here last night with Didier Drogba the hero.
Four years ago in Moscow, Chelsea lost the European Cup on penalties to Manchester United.
But they were spot on this time with Drogba, in possibly his last match for the club, scoring the decisive penalty – after equalising two minutes from time.
David Luiz, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole were also on target for Chelsea from the spot, with only Juan Mata failing to convert his kick.
So owner Roman Abramovich’s Champions League dream came true – with a caretaker boss in charge in Roberto Di Matteo.
Bayern finally broke through seven minutes from time when Thomas Muller headed home off the underside of the bar from Toni Kroos’ cross.
But two minutes from time, Drogba equalised with a magnificent header from Mata’s inswinging corner.
And the drama continued with Petr Cech saving a penalty from former team-mate Arjen Robben at the start of extra-time after Drogba had tripped Franck Ribery.
Chelsea must have felt they went in search of glory with one hand tied behind their backs.
Four players were missing through suspension - skipper John Terry, fellow defender Branislav Ivanovic and midfielders Ramires and Raul Meireles.
In addition, David Luiz - who had only just recovered from a hamstring injury - survived another late scare to take his place in a depleted team.
Another of Di Matteo’s walking wounded, Gary Cahill, made his first significant contribution of a highly-charged night.
The England centre-back, like Luiz returning after a hamstring problem, produced a superb block in the fifth minute to deny Bastian Schweinsteiger, who had stupidly got himself booked three minutes earlier for a needless handball.
Mario Gomez sent a diving header over the bar and Jose Bosingwa was lucky not to slice the ball into his own goal when he miskicked – as Bayern dominated from the start.
It was a particularly difficult night for Chelsea right-back Bosingwa against Bayern’s French star Franck Ribery.
Robben also embarrassed him, before seeing his shot diverted for a corner by Chelsea keeper Cech.
It was a final of backs-to-the-wall defending for Chelsea, not unlike their two-legged semi-final against Barcelona.
Chances were few and far between for them and they were grateful for a foul by former Manchester City defender Jerome Boateng on Cahill, which presented an opportunity from a free-kick.
Mata’s effort from the set piece, however, sailed over the bar.
That at least triggered a more-positive spell for Chelsea, with Drogba crowded out when he looked like forcing his way through.
Salomon Kalou also pressed Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer into his first save after good work by stand-in skipper Frank Lampard.
But at the other end, Bayern constantly created chances.
Muller sent one effort wide when he should have hit the target and Gomez was guilty of two bad misses in the space of four minutes.
His control let him down on the first occasion and then Bayern’s top scorer shot over with the goal at his mercy.
But Chelsea had the last laugh with the penalty shoot-out win.
