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Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich: Champions League final preview

By on May 25, 2013

The home of English football will be set alight by two German sides as the first ever all German Champions League final will be contested between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at Wembley Stadium. Bayern, who are favorites to win their fifth European Cup, will look to reverse the disappointment they have suffered in recent finals, and they lost 2012 final to Chelsea on penalties in front of a home crowd at the Allianz Arena, and the 2010 final to Internazionale. Dortmund are the underdogs, but will be looking to install the fate that Real Madrid suffered in the semifinals, in which Dortmund pounded the Spanish giants 4-1 in the first leg.

The two sides will meet for the tenth time in three years in London, and it is very rare for the CL finalists too know each others styles so well. Bayern press high, keep the ball, exploit the wings, and use their physicality and height to win challenges, while Dortmund have played mainly on the counter-attack against their main domestic rivals, a style that can produce fantastic results, as it did in the DFB-Pokal final last season when Dortmund beat Bayern 5-2. Although Bayern have come a long way since then, Robert Lewandowski will still be a massive threat to Jupp Heynckes back four, and will attempt to terrorize Bayern like he did to the Madrid defense in the semis.

Bayern are undefeated against Dortmund this season, twice drawing 1-1 with Jurgen Klopp’s side, and winning the other two meetings 1-0 and 2-1. Although being underdogs, Dortmund will yearn to repeat their shock 1997 win of the competition in which they beat Juventus 3-1 in the final. But the side have struggled to become a top club once again although winning the Bundesliga in 2011 and 2012, Bayern greatly slowed the clubs rise to power, and continue to, with the German side activating Dortmund winger Mario Gotze’s 37 million euro release clause in a move that will see Gotze moving Munich over the summer.

The match will be Bayern manager Jupp Heynckes last game in the dugout, with 68-year-old after announcing he will retire when he is forced out of Bayern to make way for former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola. Guardiola will have large boots to fill though, and Heynckes won seven major trophies during his five year reign at Bayern, and will have eight with a win tonight. But wether Heynckes can bow out with a win or not, the match is sure to be exciting, so look out for my halftime and full time reviews, right here on Football Every Day!

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.