Bayern Munich made a 5-4 victory over Chelsea yesterday and claimed the UEFA Super Cup.
Chelsea were on the verge of victory in extra time but Javi Martinez took the match to penalties with the last kick of the match. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer saved a penalty by substitute Romelu Lukaku to give Champions League winners Bayern Munich the victory.
Fernando Torres had given Chelsea the lead before Franck Ribery equalised.
Eden Hazard restored Chelsea’s lead despite Ramires’ dismissal but Romelu Lukaku missed the decisive spot-kick. Even beaten, this was a courageous performance typical of a Jose Mourinho side, who played the last 40 minutes with 10 men. They were left a man down when Ramires was sent off in the 85th minute after getting his second yellow card for a rough tackle on substitute Mario Goetze.
Bayern Munich had not forgotten that defeat by Chelsea on penalties in Munich last year. This was the first meeting since that night. Bayern won their first Super Cup in the club’s fourth effort, bringing the first trophy with the team for new coach Pep Guardiola. “It’s the first time, we’re proud of that. We played unbelievably good football. I’m so happy with our performance,” Guardiola said.
“My opinion is that the best team lost.The team that more deserved to win lost. But that’s football. Sometimes, it happens in football,” said Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho.
A day after winning the UEFA ‘Best Player in Europe’ award for the 2012-2013 season, Bayern midfielder Ribery seemed to be dangerous throughout and equalised two minutes into the second half with an swerving drive from outside the area. Ribery also had a shot just wide two minutes after scoring the goal and again in extra time. He also missed the target three times in the first half. He almost restored parity, forcing Cech into a brilliant diving save with curling low shot in the 22nd minute.
Three minutes into extra time, Hazard taken up the ball on the left flank and cut into the area, getting ahead of two defenders before losing a powerful drive past Neuer for what looked likely to be the winner. Cech then carried out a series of stunning saves as Bayern pressed relentlessly for an equaliser – until Martinez slotted in from close range with the very last kick of extra time.
After reacting to Ramires’ dismissal in the final, José Mourinho has suggested he and his sides are victims of a conspiracy in UEFA competition.
“I have a fantastic experience of playing with 10 men in Uefa matches. I have a great experience. So I could react. I could coach my players in a way where, even with 10 men, even very, very tired, they could compete and find an opportunity to score a goal. In the end of the game, with everybody absolutely tired, they gave absolutely everything. I think my experience of playing with 10 men gave us a hand.”
“People who earn their living in football always feel there’s a very important rule: the passion for football,” he added.
“If you are in love with football, you don’t kill a final with a second yellow card like this. You don’t kill the final. There were many other yellow cards that the referee didn’t give. There was a situation with Dante in front of me, with his first yellow card, and it was not given. With English referees, with people who love the game, communicate with the players, tells Ramires: ‘Look, you’ve not hurt anyone, but you mustn’t do that again’. Or tell the Bayern players: ’Don’t dive. Don’t try and provoke. Play a fair game’.
Source:
Qatar Chronicle
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