2012 Champions League final: OTD 9 years ago, Chelsea made history

Chelsea created history by winning their first Champions League title on this day, nine years ago. The London outfit defied all odds and went on to win the 2012 Champions League final by defeating Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. With the match all level at the end of extra time, the Blues managed to edge past the German giants in the penalty shootout, wining 4-3 on penalties and lifting the European title.

Chelsea UCL record

The London outfit made their first Champions League appearance back in 1999 and have been a regular feature in the European competition since then. They suffered many roadblocks in their journey towards European glory as the London outfit failed at crucial movements across various seasons.

The Blues came close to playing in the final on numerous occasions during the early 2000s but failed to do so losing in the semi-finals against AS Monaco back in 03/04. They were defeated by Liverpool in the 2005 and 2007 semi-finals with a round of 16 knockout at the hands of FC Barcelona sandwiched in the middle. In 2008, Chelsea were just a successful penalty kick away from winning the Champions League when John Terry slipped during his penalty in sudden death and lost out to Manchester United. 

A year later, Chelsea lost to FC Barcelona in the semifinals in what is remembered as one of the most controversial European matches. Andres Iniesta struck in the dying minutes of the game as the London outfit saw a series of decisions go against them with Didier Drogba's reactions still imprinted in the memory of football fans who watched the match. After losing out to Inter Milan in the round of 16 in 2010 and in the quarter-final against Man United, Chelsea finally managed to lay their hands on the European trophy in 2012.

Chelsea 2012 UCL Journey

Under the leadership of manager Andre Villas-Boas, Chelsea managed to edge past Valencia, Genk, and Bayer Leverkusen in the group stage and were set to take on Napoli in the knockout stages. Following a 3-1 loss to the Italian outfit and a top-four Premier League spot in danger, Chelsea sacked Andre Villas-Boas with Roberto di Matteo set to take charge of the London outfit.

Roberto di Matteo managed to surpass expectations, helping Chelsea make a remarkable comeback into the tournament,  knocking out Napoli, Benfica, and FC Barcelona and managed to lead Chelsea into the 2012 Champions League final. Bayern Munich on the other hand got the better of Basel, Marseille, and Real Madrid to reach the final and play the biggest club football clash in front of their home crowd.

Bayern Munich vs Chelsea Champions League final

Heading into the final without club captain John Terry and Ramires and Ivanovic, the Blues missed a major part of the spine that helped them reach the finals. Despite fielding a few inexperienced players against a full-strength Bayern Munich team, Chelsea managed to keep all things square at halftime.

In the second half, Bayern Munich managed to send the crowd into a frenzy during the 83rd minute as Thomas Muller managed to slot the ball past Petr Cech to give the German giants a massive lead. However, Didier Drogba had other plans as the Ivorian headed the ball into Bayern's net at the brink of regulation time to send the finals into extra time and then a penalty shootout. It did not start well for Chelsea as Juan Mata failed to score from Chelsea's first penalty kick. However, Cech managed to cover up for Mata's mistake by blocking Ivica Olic's kick which led to the shootout being all tied up at 3-3.

Petr Cech was the hero again for Chelsea as he saved Schweinsteiger's kick and handed Chelsea the chance to win the Champions League with one spot-kick to go. Drogba stepped up to take the most important penalty of his life and managed to hold on to his nerves as Chelsea went on to become the first London club to win the Champions League.

Manchester City vs Chelsea final

Chelsea are now set to lock horns against Premier League rivals Manchester City in the much-awaited 2020/21 Champions League final. The 2021 Champions League final time sees the match kick-off at 12:30 AM IST (May 30) at Estadio Do Dragao in Portugal. The London outfit is set to make their third Champions League final appearance and will be aiming to replicate a similar result to that night in Munich.