Bayern Munich won the 2019/2020 in style. They won all their matches en route to clinching the trophy! We look at the Bavarian’s route to another historic UCL win that completed yet another treble.
Bayern Munich's Route to Another Historic UCL Success
Bayern Munich’s route to clinching the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League trophy is no doubt incredible. Everything about this team was unbelievably good but it has been a massive turnaround. Following the departure of Frank Ribery and Arjen Robben, there were concerns about whether the remaining Bayern squad would replicate and fill in the gaps left by the two legends.
Initially, Bayern struggled until the managerial shakeup that put Hans Flick in charge. This was the genesis of the amazing football that propelled Bayern to the 6th UEFA Champions League trophy. Let us take a look at Bayern Munich’s route to historic 2019/2020 UCL success.
Bayern Kicks Off the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League
Bayern Munich were placed in Group B of the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Crvena Zvezda, and Olympiacos. They kicked off their UEFA Champions League quest at home in September 2019 against Crvena Zvezda and thrashed them 3-0. The next game was away to Tottenham Hotspur where they hammered the London club 7-2 with Gnabry scoring four goals. This is nearly the same scoreline that catapulted Bayern to the semi-finals of the UCL. By the end of the entire group stage matches, Bayern Munich had won all of them and comfortably led the group. They scored a total of 24 goals and conceded just 5 goals!
The Round of 16 Test
In the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League, Bayern was paired with Chelsea. The first leg of the competition was played at Stamford Bridge where the Germans made light work of the game. They beat Chelsea 3-0 thanks to Gnabry’s brace and Robert Lewandowski’s goal. The second leg of the competition was to take place in February 2020 but the Coronavirus pandemic led to the immediate postponement of the remainder UEFA Champions League matches. This postponement affected the second leg match between Bayern and Chelsea. After 6 months, the competition returned and Bayern hosted Chelsea at Allianz Arena. Again, Chelsea was humiliated 4-1 and Bayern were now through to the quarter-finals of the competition.
The “Tough Quarter Final” Tie
The Semi-Finals
Lyon overcame Juventus and Man City in the knockouts and quarter-finals respectively. However, they were facing a giant. Yes, Bayern Munchen were now favorites to win this one. Whatever game Lyon was going to throw, they knew at the back of their minds that this was a team of runners and goal-eyed players. Lewandowski, Muller, and Gnabry were always a tough forward. Lyon started the match brightly and also struck the woodwork. However, Bayern Munich was not their match and ended up shipping 3 goals without an answer. The two goals from Serge Gnabry and a single goal from Lewandowski were enough to propel them to the finals of the UEFA Champions League. By now, Gnabry had scored a total of 9 goals while Robert Lewandowski had 15.
The Finals
Wrap up
Most fans would agree that Bayern Munich deserved to win the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League trophy. It was arguably the best team in Europe as many top guns struggled. Winning all the matches in the competition is easier said than done and it will be difficult for any team to replicate that form. The players and the coach gave it all and the team played unbelievably well. All these factors carved a success story for Bayern Munich in the 2019/2020 UCL.