Chelsea, Bayern stars eager to make amends

Sides to vie for Champions League crown in final today.

MUNICH: Bayern Munich host Chelsea in today’s Champions League final with both looking to erase painful memories of recent defeats at the last hurdle in the event.

The Blues arrived in the city eager to end their long wait to be crowned kings of Europe at Munich's sold-out Allianz Arena, four years after their misery in Moscow.

The last time Chelsea reached the Champions League final in 2008, they lost on penalties to Manchester United with striker Didier Drogba dismissed in extra time for a slap on United defender Nemanja Vidic.

Despite an erratic season which saw Chelsea finish sixth in the Premier League, they lifted the FA Cup and beat Barcelona on the way to the Champions League final.

After Andre Villa-Boas was sacked in March, new boss Roberto Di Matteo breathed new life into the team and Drogba says the Blues have earned the right to be here.

"After Moscow, most of us thought we were going to get into the final the next year,” said Drogba. “But you can see it's very difficult to reach a final. It shows how much we deserve to be there this time because it's been a few years. We did a great job to get past Barcelona but we have to do one more. Now it's one more game to win."

Both teams upset the odds to take their place in the final with Chelsea stunning holders Barcelona while Bayern won a penalty-shoot-out in Spain to beat Real Madrid.

Bayern will be without suspended defensive trio Holger Badstuber, David Alaba and Luiz Gustavo who all picked up yellow cards against Madrid. Chelsea will be missing captain John Terry, who was sent off against Barcelona, while midfielders Raul Meireles, Ramires and defender Branislav Ivanovic are also suspended.

Time to banish the bad memory: Ribery

Likewise, Bayern winger Franck Ribery knows the pain of missing out: in the 2010 campaign, his red card in the semi-final against Lyon saw him suspended for the final as the Bavarians lost 2-0 in Madrid to Inter Milan.

"It wasn't a good situation for me two years ago and I felt bad about it," said the Frenchman.

"I've often thought back to 2010. I can make up for the missed final because I have a second chance. The final in Munich means I can finally banish the memory of Madrid."

However, Bayern are licking their wounds after being hammered 5-2 by league champions Dortmund in last weekend's German Cup final and finished second in the Bundesliga.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2012.