Acrimony

Given that its getting to the stage where the Champions League begins to capture the imagination a bit, with big teams playing each other in games where every moment seems crucial. Spurs and Real Madrid should be terrific, can Harry Redknapp pull something out of the bag when once again, the odds seem stacked heavily against them?

Either way, it got me thinking and along with some discussion about the 30 Day Football Challenge on Facebook, is there a team which turns up in more 'Classic moments' for British teams than Bayern Munich? The boys from Bavaria seem to appear in well known wins, losses and draws against teams from Britain, some fondly remembered and others bitterly clung to, in any case, some examples (In no particular order):

Aberdeen 2 - 2 Bayern Munich.

A Bayern Munich team which featured Phillip Lahm, Miroslav Klose, Lucio, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski rocked up to Pittodrie for a UEFA cup last 32 tie in 2008 to take on a Dons team featuring Darren Mackie and Barry Nicholson. What reads like a foregone conclusion was anything but as an excitable Dons team put in a terrific performance to take the lead twice. Sone Aluko's bursting run from a Lee Miller flick put Aberdeen 2-1 in the first half and into dream land:

As was horribly predictable, the Dons folded a week later in Germany, outclassed to the tune of 5-1 to a rampant Bayern. Chants of 'We're going to win five all' commonplace around pubs in the North-East of Scotland.

Manchester United 2 - 1 Bayern Munich.

The 1999 Champions League has had many column inches devoted to it, so it doesn't seem worth going into too much depth. Manchester United, shorn of Keane and Scholes through suspension went down to a 6th minute Mario Basler freekick. This is how the game stayed until 90+1 when with Schmeichel in the box, Giggs slung a pass back in with his right foot:

I'm sure you know the rest, but in terms of a match requiring a bit of faith and a bit of belief, this takes some beating.

Bayern Munich 1 - 2 Norwich City.

The only British team to have beaten Bayern Munich at the Olympic Stadium: Norwich City. In 1993, Norwich City were playing in the UEFA Cup second round after finishing 3rd in the first season of the Premier League. The Canaries

Although Christian Nerlinger got a goal back in Germany and Bayern brought the game level at Carrow Road, Jeremy Goss got a second of the tie to put Norwich through. They dropped out of the competition in the next round against eventual winners Inter Milan, but Goss'goal in the Olympic Stadium was voted the greatest goal of all time in 2008 by club fans.

Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Leeds United.

A game I'll admit, I was entirely ignorant of until reading the excellent 'Promised Land - The Reinvention of Leeds United', which illustrates perfectly the black mark that this match left in Leeds' history. In the 1975 European Cup Final, Leeds feel that they were cheated out of becoming European Champions. A controversial game which included a Peter Lorimer goal being chalked off under protestations from the Bayern team and what looks like a stone wall penalty for a foul on Allan Clarke:

The Leeds fans rioted, fought with the French police and ultimately were banned from Europe for two years. Even today, Leeds fans sing about being the champions of Europe.

Bayern Munich 2 - 1 Raith Rovers.

A truly amazing story from start to finish. After beating Celtic in the 1994 League Cup final (6-5 on Penalties), Raith Rovers qualified for the UEFA Cup. After beating the Faroese and Icelandic league champions, Raith were drawn against the German giants. After being defeated 2-0 in the home leg, Raith looked dead and buried in the tie.

Against all sensible logic, Raith Rovers proved that the old German saying, 'Der ball ist Rund' rings true more often than not. This also provided us with one of the most iconic pictures in Scottish football:

Raith eventually lost the tie 2 - 1 and bowed out of the competition to the eventual winners.

There are certainly more games than this, Everton's Cup Winners Cup semi-final victory in 1985, Aston Villa's 1982 European Cup win against Bayern, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SLvMebGS_I), Manchester United's terrific tie in the Champions league last year peaking with Robben's volley, Chelsea's goalfest against them in 2005, Rangers defeating Bayern on their way to European Cup Winners Cup glory. There are undoubtedly more, but it seems that Bayern continue to come calling on British team's history.