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| Drogba celebrates after scoring the winning penalty. |
Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history after beating Bayern Munich in dramatic fashion on penalties in Munich on Saturday night.
The suggestion that it was ‘written in the stars’ certainly looked to be true as the Germans were almost rampant throughout but missed a string of glorious chances, including a penalty in extra-time, as the Blues secured victory at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern dominated that opening stages of the game and Bastian Schweinsteiger saw an early effort blocked by Gary Cahill before Toni Kroos saw his strike spin wide.
The Blues were stuck in their own half but Bayern's shooting was wayward. Mario Gomez had half a chance in the 19th minute but he lost control on the turn before Arjen Robben was denied the opener by the feet of Petr Cech.
Thomas Mueller followed up with a fantastic volley which flew just wide in the 36th minute. Chelsea would finally enjoy their first chance two minutes later when Salomon Kalou tested Manuel Neuer with a powerful drive to the near post.
The Blues looked nervous at the back though and Gomez should have fired Bayern ahead with three minutes left in the half as he did brilliantly to turn Cahill but blazed his shot miles over.
A mistake from David Luiz let Robben through on goal two minutes after the break but the brilliant Ashley Cole came flying to stop the danger.
Cole would then block a shot from Robben in the 54th minute and Ribery tucked away the rebound, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The England left-back would then make yet another telling block in the 60th minute to frustrate Robben was again before Philipp Lahnm went down under pressure from Didier Drogba but the referee rightfully waved play on.
The seemingly unbeatable Cole was in the way once more in the 70th minute to keep Kroos' effort from nestling in the back of the net before Kalou had a header blocked after a superb cross from Jose Bosingwa.
Drogba almost created a moment of brilliance when he left Anatoliy Tymoschuk for dead but his low drive across the area found nobody.
Cech had to tip a cross over the bar in the 76th minute before Mueller was guilty of another miss when he was found in the area and scuffed the shot wide.
The forward would make amends with seven minutes to go when he nodded the ball down with his face and it bounced over the head of Cech and in at the near post.
Chelsea responded perfectly though and six minutes later as Mata swung in a perfect corner and Drogba powerful header found the top corner via the hand of Neuer.
The Ivoirian had a chance to score the winner with the last kick of the game in regulation time but his free-kick flew high into the stands as it went into extra-time.
The drama continued at the start of extra-time with Fernando Torres making a superb run to the area and it led to shot from Mata being blocked.
Drogba then went from hero to villain at the other end with a silly challenge from behind on Ribery which resulted in a penalty. Bayern were not able to make the most of it though as Cech saved Robben's effort from the spot.
Ivica Olic should have won it in the 108th minute when he was picked out free at the far post but he decided to cross instead of shoot and it dribbled wide.
Luiz had to hack another chance clear with eight minutes to go and no more chances came as the game would be decided by penalties.
Bayern again took the early advantage in the shootout when Mata saw his effort saved but Cech made a spectacular save to deny Olic and Schweinsteiger would go on to hit the post with their fifth and final spot-kick. Again all eyes were on Drogba and he calmly sent Neuer the wrong way to secure the trophy for Chelsea. Soccer-Laduma
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