Bayern Munich enters Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final at London’s Wembley Stadium looking to put the cap on one of the greatest seasons that modern football has ever seen.
Their adversaries in the all-German clash, Borussia Dortmund, have put together an impressive Champions League run, beating out clubs with far more cash and resources on their way to the final.
Saturday programming alert: Watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich in the final of the UEFA Champions League live on all four main Sportsnet channels on May 25. Coverage begins with our pre-game show at 2:00pm ET/11:00am PT. And take part in SPORTSNET.CA’s live game chat as the action unfolds from Wembley Stadium.
There’s no shortage of storylines heading in to this intriguing matchup: the imminent departure of Dortmund star Mario Götze to Bayern following the match and the maybe-real-maybe-convenient injury he’s picked up, forcing him to miss the final; the possibility that prolific Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski will join him at Bayern this summer; and Bayern’s quest to complete the rare treble, among others.
But as for the match itself, what can we expect out of Saturday’s clash? If their previous meetings this season tell us anything, it should be a close one…
Head to head meetings
The two sides have met four times during the 2012-13 season. Bayern has won two, and the other two ended in draws:
Aug. 12., 2012: Bayern defeated Dortmund 2-1 to capture the DFB Super Cup, played between the previous season’s league and cup winners. Mario Mandzukic and Thomas Müller scored for Bayern, with Robert Lewandowski replying for Dortmund.
Dec. 1, 2012: The teams drew their first Bundesliga meeting of the season, 1-1. Tony Kroos scored for Bayern before Mario Götze tied the match in the 74th minute.
Feb. 27, 2013: Bayern rides a 43rd minute Arjen Robben goal to a 1-0 win, knocking Dortmund out of the DFB Pokal, the German Cup.
May 4, 2013: The teams draw 1-1, as defender Kevin Großkreutz scored for Dortmund before Mario Gomez tied it for Bayern. Lewandowski missed a penalty in the 60th minute that would have put Dortmund ahead. Both teams rested key players in anticipation of the upcoming Champions League clash.
Breaking down the records
Bayern running away with the Bundesliga title was one of the stories of the year in European football, and their season looks even more impressive when you factor in other competitions. They amassed an incredible +116 goal differential in all competitions, making Dortmund’s excellent campaign look rather ho-hum in comparison:
Bayern boasts a remarkable 0.58 goals against average in all competitions, although it comes with the caveat that their numbers are boosted by their utter domination of the DFB Pokal, Germany’s Cup competition (Bayern will play Stuttgart in the final on June 1).
Here’s a quick breakdown of how the teams have fared in terms of scoring and defending in different competitions this year.
A few quick things to note:
Dortmund’s defensive line has been airtight in the Champions League, allowing fewer goals per game than they did in the Bundesliga.
Bayern averaging almost two-and-a-half goals per game in Champions League competition is quite an achievement, particularly coupled with allowing under a goal per 90 minutes on average.
Scoring threats
Borussia Dortmund: Robert Lewandowski is one of the best all-around forwards in world football and is already the subject of endless transfer speculation for the upcoming summer window. Lewandowski led Dortmund with 36 goals in all competitions, including 10 goals in 12 Champions League appearances. But like so many others, he’s found the Bayern defence to be a tough nut to crack, registering a single goal on six shots against them this season:
With prolific creative midfielder Mario Götze ruled out of the final due to injury, it looks as if it will be up to Lewandowski to finish for Dortmund. The club’s second leading scorer, Marco Reus, has found life against Bayern similarly difficult this season, managing only one shot on target with no goals in 290 minutes of action.
Bayern Munich: Offensive contributions from a variety of different players have been a part of Bayern’s unbelievably successful campaign thus far. Nine players have contributed at least eight goals in all competitions for them, with six players hitting double-digits.
German attacking midfielder Thomas Müller leads the team with 22 goals in all competitions in 2013, the best total of his career. He’s seen some success in limited action against Dortmund, though hasn’t made an offensive contribution in the teams’ last two meetings:
Forward Mario Mandzukic is second to Müller on Bayern with 21 goals in all competitions, and has notched one goal over 266 minutes against Dortmund this season. The beauty of Bayern, though, is that they have so many players who can chip in offensively should Mandzukic be shut down up top, or should Müller find the going difficult playing just behind Mandzukic. With Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Toni Kroos and Bastian Schweinsteiger, Bayern’s midfield is truly an embarrassment of riches with no shortage of creative ability. And Mario Gomez and Claudio Pizarro provide two more dangerous options up top for Bayern should the match call for it.
Final thoughts
The absence of Götze is a massive blow to Dortmund’s hopes, but they’ve surprised people over and over again during their run to the Champions League final. In all likelihood, though, their run stops at Wembley. Bayern simply has too much firepower, too much creativity in their midfield, and too stingy of a defensive unit.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 2, Borussia Dortmund 1.