Thirty two teams started the battle for glory from September last year. Now, however, the journey has been reduced to the final two-Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Today, both clubs will battle it out for Europe's top club football honour. Football fans, bookmakers and pundits have all predicted an all Spanish final between Barcelona and Real Madrid but Chelsea and Bayern Munich staged upsets in the semi finals by knocking out the two Spanish giants.

Today's final will take place at the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich's home ground where the winner will enter into the folklore of football legends while the loser will be left wondering what they will do to conquer Europe someday. The loser today would end up with a second loss in the Champions League final. Bayern Munich is aiming for its fifth Champions League trophy while Chelsea is gunning for a first ever Champions League crown.

The last time these two sides met was in the quarter finals of the Champions League in 2004/2005 season where Chelsea knocked out Bayern Munich by winning 6-5 on aggregate.

Bayern Munich has the luxury of playing the Champions League final in front of their home fans. They will be hoping on ending the season on a high after losing the league and Cup to Borrusia Dortmund, they have already faced an English team already in the competition when they played newly crowned English champions Manchester City with each side winning their home game 2-0.

Bayern has a decent record against English sides in the Champions league. They have played 35 matches, won 13, lost 10 and drew 12. Bayern is playing its fourth Champions League final in 13 years. Bayern fans were left heartbroken in the 1999 finals in Nou Camp when they had one hand already on the trophy but two injury time goals handed Man United the trophy.

They bounced back in the 2001 edition beating Valencia in the finals via penalties. Two years ago they lost to Inter Milan in the finals and will be looking to win this one on their home ground making it the fourth time in history that a club will be playing the finals in its home and the first in this modern era (Real Madrid in 1956/57, Inter Milan in 1964/65 and Roma in 1983/84).

Bayern Munich will be without the services of David Alaba, Holger Badstuber and Luiz Gustavo even though its manager Jupp Heynckes will likely have Mario Gomez, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribry, Toni Kroos, Daniel van Buyten, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm, Jrme Boateng and possibly Thomas Mller in his starting lineup, with Manuel Neuer in goal. The Germans will probably go for a three man attack of Gomez, Ribery and Robben.

Bayern's strength lies on their wing play with Ribery and Robben doing damages on the wings. Ashley Cole and Bosingwa will have their hands full containing the duo. Mario Gomez is the second highest goal scorer in the Champions league with 12 goals and need a hattrick to overtake Lionel Messi who has 14 strikes.

Jupp Heynckes will be gunning for his second Champions League crown after leading Real Madrid to the title in 1998. Bayern winger Ribery insists his side will not take the threat of Chelsea very lightly which he believes is tactically superior to Barcelona. "When it comes to the game, Barcelona is stronger," Ribery said. But if you look at organisation, tactics, and set pieces, then Chelsea is better.

In the semi-final, Chelsea played like they had to against a team like Barcelona, and in Munich they will take a defensive approach, with a well-organised and compact team. It will be very hard for us. Also, former Bayern captain and legend Stefan Effenberg believes Bastian Schweinsteiger must step up to the occasion for Bayern to have a good chance of beating Chelsea as the over reliance on Robben and Ribery is becoming too predictable. "There is a lot of hope resting on Schweinsteiger's shoulders and he cannot buy any more time. He must play well now," Effenberg stated

The rest is here:
Nigeria: Chelsea, Bayern Battle for Immortality