Chelsea Football Formation

Lineup (4-2-3-1)

Petr Čech · John Terry (c) · David Luiz · Ashley Cole · Gary Cahill · Mikel John Obi · Frank Lampard · Juan Mata · Salomon Kalou · Ramires · Didier Drogba

Chelsea "Europe Champions against All Odds" XI
--------------------------------------------------------------

Preamble :
Everyone's on a journey these days. Detailed imaginary research shows that the phrase "on a journey" is used 1724 per cent times more in the iAge than it was in the 20th century. It's most prevalent on reality TV shows, with presenters and judges putting on their Gravitas Face as they talk about the journey undertaken by the show's stars. (That journey in full: a return ticket from anonymity to Heat magazine.)

If you want a real spiritual journey, try Chelsea's attempt to win the European Cup. Let me assure you, this, like any other story worth telling, is all about obsession. It began on Wednesday 13 August 2003, when they won 2-0 away to Zilina in the qualifying round, their first European match after Roman Abramovich's takeover. Eidur Gudjohnsen scored the first; Michal Drahno scored an own goal; Juan Veron flounced around imperiously. This was the team in full:
(Cudicini; Johnson, Desailly, Terry, Bridge; Geremi, Veron, Lampard, Duff; Gudjohnsen, Forssell.
Subs: Huth, Melchiot, Gronkjaer, J Cole, C Cole, Ambrosetti, Hasselbaink.)

Eight managers, 3193 days, 101 games and around £600m later, they face Bayern Munich in the final tonight. This is their last chance to secure the legacy they crave – and the legacy they deserve. It's hard to recall the last time a side as brilliant and enduring as this Chelsea team failed to win the European Cup. The late 1980s Real Madrid perhaps?

Chelsea's courtship of the European Cup has been so heartbreaking and apparently ill-fated as to make Scotland and the World Cup – not to mention Heathcliff and Cathy – seem like they lived happily ever after. It's been a litany of misfortune and near misses. There was infamous tinkering and an unseen handball against Monaco in 2004; the ghost goal and Eidur Gudjohnsen's injury-time miss in 2005; the penalty shoot-out at Anfield in 2007; THE penalty shoot-out in Moscow in 2008; the 47 clear penalties that were not given by Tom Henning Øvrebo before Andres Iniesta's injury-time decider in 2009. Five semi-finals in six years, including one final; no medals and umpteen regrets.

When Chelsea were quietly beaten before the semi-finals by Internazionale and Manchester United in 2010 and 2011, it seemed that time was up for a great team, and that the European Cup was destined to be the one that got away. Then something perverse happened. Since the second leg against Napoli in February, Fate has been whispering all sorts of filthy promises in Chelsea's ear. The manner of their victories over Napoli, Benfica and particularly Barcelona has created an increasing sense that this is their year. If nothing else, a win tonight would ensure Gary Neville's goalgasm was not in vain.

The trouble is, that duplicitous wench Fate has been giving Bayern Munich an equally strong come-on. They too have unfinished business in this tournament, having lost the final to Jose Mourinho two years ago; they also have a powerful sense of destiny, fuelled by a sensational semi-final victory over Mourinho and the long-standing knowledge that the final would be played in Munich. Bayern could become the first side to win the competition on their own ground since Internazionale in 1965. Either they will win their fifth European Cup, or Chelsea will win their first.

Kick off is at 7.45 pm.

Team news :
That drum-and-bass track you can hear in Munich is Ryan Bertrand's heartbeat: he has been included in the Chelsea team and will make his European debut, in a Champions League final, playing out of position. I wouldn't ordinarily encourage use of the word 'wow', but, well, wow! That might be the bravest decision in top-level football since somebody last made eye contact with Roy Keane.

Bertrand's primary role will be to help Ashley Cole against Arjen Robben and Philipp Lahm. The rest of the Chelsea side is as expected, with Gary Cahill and David Luiz both fit to start. Well, they start. Toni Kroos drops into a deeper midfield role for Bayern alongside the majestic, man-lovable Bastian Schweinsteiger, so Thomas Muller will play behind Mario Gomez.

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1) : Neuer; Lahm, Boateng, Tymoschuk, Contento; Schweinsteiger, Kroos; Robben, Muller, Ribery; Gomez.
Subs: Butt, Van Buyten, Petersen, Olic, Rafinha, Usami, Pranjic.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1) : Cech; Bosingwa, Luiz, Cahill, Cole; Mikel, Lampard; Kalou, Mata, Bertrand; Drogba.
Subs: Turnbull, Essien, Romeu, Torres, Malouda, Ferreira, Sturridge.

Referee: Pedro Proenca (Portugal)


Five years ago in Munich, John Terry was a picture of abject misery, slipping on the slick Luzhniki Stadium turf and missing his penalty as Manchester United held off Chelsea in a heartbreaking loss.

Today, we saw Chelsea do the impossible as they held Bayern at the Allianz Arena, their home stadium, through full time and extra time for 120+ minutes through so many near death experiences. The 82nd minute goal by Thomas Mueller appeared to have spelled doom but Didier Drogba's powerful header five minutes later off Chelsea's first corner restored parity sending the visiting fans who had gone silent into a screaming celebratory frenzy.

Drogba now turned villain in extra time unforgivably clipping Franck Ribery on the heel bringing him down in the box. There was no doubt it was a penalty as the Ivoirian looked agonized. Arjen Robben who had been having his problems with accuracy all evening elected to go for power and Cech guessed correctly diving to his left to gather the ball resuscitating Chelsea's dreams again. It was then one this feeling that this was going to end very badly for Bayern.

With the penalty shootout tantalizingly poised at 4-4, Bastian Schweinsteiger stepped up to take the spot. There were some doubts with fatigue but the veteran midfielder and a Bavarian legend looked calm in his set up, put Čech at his mercy with a nice stutter step in his run up and then pushed the ball calamitously onto the upright. The stage was set for Drogba who was not part of the Champions League final five years ago to seal the final for the Blues and send Bayern into a world of pain. This might be his final match for Chelsea and if it is one cannot think of a better send off. It also ended Chelsea's five year odyssey from Moscow to Munich, a journey strewn with bitterness and anger at perceived refereeing injustices and close calls.

One also cannot write enough that the only statistic in football that matters is goals. By now one would think the number of times one repeats that axiom would rob it of its potency. And so Bayern found out in the throes off its death spiral that was what they could have done, should have done, but did not do. Opportunities came fast and furious but Mario Gomez, Mueller, and Robben were woeful in their finish. Gomez in particular was abject flubbing three chances in front of goal that the normally sharp shooting German would have put away in his sleep. Set pieces were no better as Bayern racked up 16 corners before Chelsea got their first which produced an instantaneous result.

Jupp Heynckes decision to sub Mueller after he scored to bring in Daniel Van Buyten effectively pushing Anatoli Tymoschuk into a holding midfielder role put the brakes on the Bayern attack and gradually more ground was ceded to Chelsea. It is no coincidence the equalizer was conceded in this reconfiguration. That decision will get much attention. Drogba's decision to clip Ribery was also on hindsight the best thing that could have happened because the winger collapsed with cramps following that and he had to leave. In his absence Chelsea loaded the left flank as Lahm and Robben predictably made their forays into that channel to be stopped by a defense that played its heart out.

David Luiz and Ashley Cole cannot be praised enough. The number of blocks the Chelsea defense made Lebron James eat his heart out. Every time a Bayern player swung his leg there was a blue jersey throwing himself in front of him to neutralize his shot. Barcelona must feel better because they know now this was a Blues team completing its destiny.

This was the second week in a row of nerve wracking, nail biting finishes. Last Sunday saw City stage a miraculous two goal comeback in stoppage time to win their first Premiership title. One cannot think of a more unforgettable season in football's long history. It certainly is in Chelsea's 107 year history collecting the famous double.

What does this mean for Roberto Di Matteo? One cannot think of a better way of rewarding Di Matteo by making his position permanent in what has been a special three months for the club whey turned everything around and marched the other way winning everything meaningful except winning the Premiership. In the end their sixth placed finish in the Premiership did not hurt them one bit. Congratulations!

Finally one last thought on the departing Ivorian who bows out as a Legend. Legend of Chelsea, most definitely, and perhaps a Legend of the game of Football too. Didier Drogba would perhaps be remembered as the greatest striker Chelsea ever had. Last but not the least, a thought must be spared on the often trolled Fernando Torres, who apparently repaid the 50million that was spent by Chelsea on him, when he scored that match-sealing final goal against a frustrated Barcelona, which allowed Chelsea to avenge their infuriatingly illegitimate loss against the Catalans in 2009.



Substitutes include : Fernando Torres, José Bosingwa, Branislav Ivanović, Michael Essien, Raul Meireles, Florent Malouda, Ryan Bertrand, Ross Turnbull, Paulo Ferreira, Oriol Romeu, and Daniel Sturridge.


Coach/Manager : Roberto Di Matteo