Friday, May 3, 2013


Wembley awaits



So there we have it folks, the first all German final. After a scintillating 11-3 aggregate victory over their Spanish counter parts, the Germans will now shift their focus to a mouth watering derby.
After watching both legs of the Champions League Semi finals, it’s clear the Germans were just too good for their Spanish opponents. Many a Madrid fan will feel hard done. After a Lewandowski inspired 4-1 drubbing the men from the Spanish Capital put together an inspiring PR campaign to galvanize their fans: “You Strength Is Our Strength”. And Galvanised they were. Madrid started like a house on fire, but missed chances from the like Higuain, Ronaldo and Oezil had many fans thinking those opportunities would come back to haunt them. Dortmund was comfortable throughout the match knowing they didn’t need to chase the result. With the game winding down and many Madrid fans feeling dejected, Karim Benzema capitalised and put the ball in the net. That was all the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu need to lift their voice for one last final push. As the 12 man they pushed and chanted their men forward, Madrid, bombarding the Dortmund goal did the un-imaginable: they got a second in a matter of minutes, with time plus extra time left on the clock. Now 4-3 on aggregate and momentum in Madrid’s favour, the impossible began to look possible. Could Madrid really do it?
Madrid threw everything at the Germans hoping their away goal would be invaluable, but the third goal remains elusive. The final whistle game and Dortmund  celebrated ,filled with pride and ecstasy, while Madrid were left  filled with anguish and despair, wondering what could’ve been.
Unlike the Madrid-Dortmund clash, the clash between FC Barca and Bayern was rather disappointing. Having seen the line ups before kickoff, I had a feeling Tito had already conceded defeat. Having scored a wonder goal over the weekend, I was convinced Messi was back to his old self. But Tito knew and thought differently. Bayern continued where they left off, playing with a swagger and confidence e that has been synonymous with Barca in recent history. Barca lacked urgency and had I not seen the first game, one would have thought Bayern were the ones chasing the result. For a team that has been heralded as the Greatest of All time, Barca certainly didn’t go about the match as a great should. Part of what makes someone or an organisation great, is not their victories alone, but their spirit and Never Say Die attitude in the face of adversity.


Now we head to the final where the Champions League veterans (Bayern) will come up against the New Kids on the block (Dortmund). With last season’s defeat still fresh in the players’ minds, Bayern will be looking to go one step further and win the coveted title this season. Dortmund come into the clash as somewhat of an underdog, but remember they’d had success against their Bavarian neighbours in recent time and will definitely be backing themselves up.
Wembley is the venue for the final. The home of the Old Enemy (England), and many German fans would love nothing better than a celebration on English soil. And considering it’s an all German final i can guarantee not only will we be in for a game to remember but the atmosphere from the passionate Germans will live long in football’s memory 

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