5 Classic Games In Bayern Munich History
Bayern Munich has more trophies and Hall of Fame players in its history than any other team in Germany, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there have been some very memorable matches throughout the club’s history. While there are memorable matches where Bayern was defeated, we want to focus on the ones where they came out on top. Here are our picks for five classic games in Bayern Munich history that all supporters should go back and watch from time to time.
Beatdown of Barca (2012-13 Champions League)
For the 2012-13 Champions League, Bayern Munich was placed into a group with Valencia, BATE Borisov, and Lille. After securing 13 points, Bayern won the group on a tiebreaker and advanced to take on Arsenal in the round of 16, winning because of three away goals. They then shutout Juventus 2-0 in back-to-back matches, setting up a showdown with Barcelona with a trip to the finals on the line.
Bayern came out on fire, winning the first match 4-0. Some thought that maybe Barca could bounce back and answer with a victory of their own, but the clean sheet streak continued for Bayern as they defeated Barcelona 3-0 in the second leg, giving them a 7-0 win overall. Bayern then advanced to take on Borussia Dortmund in the finals, winning 2-1.
Entry to the Bundesliga (1965)
1963 saw the first year of play in the newly-formed Bundesliga, but Bayern Munich was not part of it. Instead, Bayern was part of the Regionalliga Sud as a member of the second division in football but was able to advance into promotion easily. In the South, Bayern Munich collected 55 points in 36 games and had an insane goal differential of 114 as they scored 146 against just 32 given up.
In the promotion round, Bayern Munich was placed against Alemannia Aachen, 1. FC Saarbrucken, and Tennis Borussia Berlin. Instead of sneaking their way into the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich kicked the doors down, defeating Tennis Borussia Berlin by a score of 8-0 to secure their spot, and they’d never look back.
Dismantling of Borussia Dortmund (1971-72 Bundesliga)
Bayern Munich had very few problems throughout the 1971-72 Bundesliga season. The club would end up winning the championship thanks to 55 points, losing just three times throughout the season and securing a +63 goal differential. The biggest one of their 24 victories came against one of their biggest rivals, Borussia Dortmund.
The match took place In November 1971, and Gerd Muller got the party started with a goal in the 11th minute. He would score three more times while several other players scored multiple goals en route to an 11-1 victory. For Borussia, Dieter Weinkauff would net the only goal as the team began their path toward a rare relegation season.
The 2001 Champions League Final
There wasn’t really a clear-cut favorite for the 2001 UEFA Champions League, but Bayern Munich had one of the best chances. The club was placed into a group stage with Paris Saint-Germain, Rosenborg, and Helsingborg, and Bayern wound up winning with 11 points in six matches.
In the quarterfinals, Bayern defeated Manchester United 3-1 on aggregate, including a 1-0 away win in the first leg. The club had an identical result in the semifinals against Real Madrid, setting the stage for the finals against Spain’s Valencia. Seeking their fourth Champions League title (and first since 1976), Bayern didn’t disappoint, sending the match to penalties. In fact, all goals were scored via penalty kicks, with Stefan Effenberg scoring in the 50th minute. Bayern won 5-4 on the penalties, with Thomas Linke netting the winner.
The 1974 European League Final
Prior to being known as the UEFA Champions League, it was called the European Cup. Bayern Munich was searching for its first-ever European League Championship at the time and advanced past Atvidaberg in the preliminary stage. They then defeated Dynamo Dresden, CSKA, and Ujpesti on their way to the final. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid had stormed through the bracket, defeating Celtic in the semifinals.
Just like in 2001, the match’s scheduled time would end with a 1-1 score. Instead of penalty kicks to determine a winner back then, though, a replay was set for two days later. In front of a crowd at nearly half the capacity of the first match in Brussels, Bayern Munich didn’t hold back in the scoring department. Uli Hoeneß scored in the 28th and 82nd minutes while Gerd Muller scored in the 56th and 69th minutes, giving Bayern Munich the 4-0 victory and its first European League title.