UEFA Super Cup Final: Bayern Munich beats Chelsea in thriller on penalty kicks

May 19, 2012; Munich, GERMANY; Chelsea player Salomon Kalou (right) battles for the ball with Bayern Munich defender Diego Contento (26) during the UEFA Champions League final at Allianz Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mitchell Gunn-USA TODAY Sports

2013 UEFA Champions League winners Bayern Munich took on the 2012 UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea Friday in the UEFA Super Cup in Prague.. The UEFA Super Cup pits the previous year’s winner against that year’s winner. It so happens that this year’s Super Cup is a rematch of the 2012 UEFA Champions League finals when Chelsea, led by Man of the Match Didier Drogba, beat Munich in penalty kicks.

Didier Drogba is no longer with Chelsea, that was his last game for the club. Both sides have some new faces since that last match up including new managers for both squads. Jose Mourinho has taken over as manager of Chelsea and Pep Guardiola has taken over as manager of Bayern Munich. The two managers have been rivals over the managerial careers and know each other well from their time in Spain’s La Liga. Pep was manager of Barcelona and Mourinho was manager of Real Madrid.

Just eight minutes into the game Fernando Torres and Chelsea took the lead on a quick counter. Eden Hazard made a quick run through several players before dumping it ahead to André Schürrle who crossed it in off his first touch to Torres who buried it in the top right-hand corner from near the penalty spot.

Schürrle and Torres almost connected again on an nearly identical play later in the game but failed to convert the attempt. The first half seemed to be dominated by the Chelsea attack, particularly by Schürrle on the wing who crossed in several attempts that looked like goal opportunities. The possession stats said otherwise giving 62% to Bayern Munich and just 38% to Chelsea.

Munich had their chances, 8 shots and 4 on target, including Thomas Müller hitting the side netting, but Petr Čech was dominant in goal. Chelsea only managed to get off 4 attempts, and the only one on target was Torres’ goal.

Munich also was sharper with their passing in the first half completing 82% compared to 61% by Chelsea.

When the second half opened it didn’t take long for Europe’s player of the year Franck Ribéry to score an equalizer, 2 minutes actually. He scored from outside the box on a beautiful strike from long distance. Pep Guardiola celebrated by choking Ribéry.

Munich got a little casual on defense around the 64th minute. Neuer was dribbling the ball away from the goal and was risking turning it over. He passed it to Dante who lost his footing and turned the ball over just outside the penalty box, Chelsea quickly got it in front of goal but Neuer was able to make an incredible save to keep the sides level.

In the 85th minute Ramires got his second yellow card in just over 20 minutes, meaning he was shown the red and ejected from the game. That left Chelsea short handed and forced to finish the game with 10 men.

Bayern Munich was unable to take advantage of the situation in the final minutes of regular time, instead the game went to extra time. Three minutes into extra time Eden Hazard scored to give the short-handed Chelsea squad a 2-1 lead.

Hazard got the ball in between the far touch line and edge of the penalty box and took it in himself dribbling past two defenders. About equal with the edge of the six-yard box and roughly 16 yards out, Hazard struck the ball at the bottom left corner and was able to squeeze it past Neuer.

Petr Čech would come through and keep Munich at bay as they tried to tie things up. In the 115th minute, Javi Martinez headed the ball towards the goal and Shaqiri was crashing the net, but the ball went just wide off the foot of a Chelsea defender it looked like. They got the corner kick but failed to get a quality attempt.

As extra time was winding down Ribéry took a beautiful free kick, but Petr Čech was there to stop it again with an incredible diving save. Mario Mandžukić headed the ball towards goal late but it bounced over the cross bar.

Javi Martinez managed to tie up the game on a goal from the edge of the six yard box in stoppage time of the second period of extra time. The game was literally seconds away from ending and giving Chelsea the victory when Martinez tied it up for Munich. A ball was crossed into play when it was deflected out of a group of players in front of goal and took a favorable bounce towards a open Martinez.

The game went to penalty kicks, just like their 2012 UEFA Champions League final match.

Alaba went first for Munich and converted. David Luiz went first for Chelsea and scored on the right side of goal, Neuer dove the other way.

Toni Kroos went second for Munich and scored on a low right corner shot. Oscar shot second for Chelsea and scored in the top left corner. Neuer dove that way but wasn’t able to get to it, underestimating the elevation of the strike.

Lahm went third for Munich and almost replicated Oscar’s shot, Čech dove that way but couldn’t stop it. Frank Lampard went third for Chelsea and scored on the top right side, Neuer dove left, similar to David Luiz’s penalty kick.

Franck Ribéry scored on the right side of the goal, but convinced Čech he was going left and the keeper dove the wrong way. Ashley Cole went fourth for Chelsea. Cole choose the right side, Neuer dove left, Cole’s strike hit the post went along the goal line and went in to goal just before the opposite post where Neuer was lying on the ground.

Shaqiri went fifth for Munich and went towards the bottom right corner and got it past Čech who dove that way. Lukaku went fifth for Chelsea and seemed to take the kick very casually. He went almost right down the center towards the right a little bit but Neuer easily stopped the kick.

Bayern Munich wins the Super Cup over Chelsea on penalty kicks (5-4).