The 2012/13 UEFA Champions League final will be the fourth European Cup showpiece between clubs from the same country, as Borussia Dortmund take on FC Bayern München in London. The Octopus revisits the first three finals.
1999/2000 Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia CF
Although neither Madrid nor Valencia were Spanish champions, respective knockout victories against Manchester United FC and FC Bayern München, and S.S. Lazio and FC Barcelona, set up the first UEFA Champions League final between domestic rivals. It was Madrid’s 11th final – and second in three years, a side coached by Jupp Heynckes having ended a 32-year wait to reclaim the trophy in 1998 – and Valencia’s first, and that gulf in experience told at the Stade de France. Vicente del Bosque’s Madrid took the lead through Fernando Morientes shortly before half-time and, with Héctor Cúper’s Valencia unable to recapture the attacking brio that had taken them to Paris, second-half strikes from Steve McManaman and Raúl González confirmed the eighth of Madrid’s nine European Cup successes.
2002/03 AC Milan 0-0 Juventus (Milan win 3-2 on penalties)
Italy provided three of the four semi-finalists, FC Internazionale Milano the team to miss out on the final at Old Trafford after losing to their neighbours in the last four. With Milan and Juve knowing each other inside out, it proved a tense affair of few chances – even the competition’s top scorer that season, Rossoneri striker Filippo Inzaghi, was unable to deliver a breakthrough in Manchester. Clarence Seedorf and Kakha Kaladze failed for Milan in the resulting shoot-out, but David Trezeguet, Marcelo Zalayeta and Paolo Montero did likewise for Juve, leaving Andriy Shevchenko to take the trophy to Milan for the sixth time.
2007/08 Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea FC (United win 6-5 on penalties)
Again three of the last four came from the same country, Chelsea avenging their defeats by Liverpool FC at the same stage in 2005 and 2007 to get to their maiden showpiece. United struck first at Moscow’s Stadion Luzhniki as Cristiano Ronaldo nodded them in front, yet Frank Lampard levelled before half-time. With no further goals, the game headed to extra time and then, with penalties looming, Chelsea lost Didier Drogba to a red card. They seemed to have shrugged off that setback when Petr Čech saved from Ronaldo in the shoot-out, giving John Terry the chance to clinch victory; instead the Chelsea captain slipped and sent his kick against the post. When Edwin van der Sar subsequently denied Nicolas Anelka, the silverware was bound for Old Trafford.
1979/80 UEFA Cup final
The only time two German sides have previously met in a European final came 33 years ago – and Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes will need no reminding of the outcome. His VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach team were 3-2 winners at home to Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Cup final first leg, having twice come from behind. However, a 1-0 away loss in Frankfurt meant Mönchengladbach missed out on the trophy on away goals.
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