Bayern recover from 2012 heartache

FC Bayern München have achieved what only one club had managed before: to recover from losing a UEFA Champions League final to lift the trophy the following season.

The German side's victory against Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund in London alleviates some of the disappointment of the 2012 showpiece, when Bayern went down on penalties to Chelsea FC at their own Fußball Arena München. Only AC Milan had previously been able to shrug off the setback of a final defeat to claim the trophy 12 months later. The Rossoneri succumbed to Olympique de Marseille in the first final of the UEFA Champions League era in 1993, yet famously beat FC Barcelona 4-0 the next season. Indeed, Milan were finalists once more in 1995 but lost out to AFC Ajax.

Bayern, contesting their third final in four campaigns, have therefore avoided the unwanted statistic of becoming the third team to lose successive European Cup finals; only Juventus (1997, 1998) and Valencia CF (2000, 2001 – when they fell to Bayern) – have suffered that fate. Bayern have still been beaten in five finals, however, the joint highest total in the competition's history along with Juve and SL Benfica.