Read through the action as Norwich City shock not only German giants Bayern Munich, but the whole footballing world as they became the first English team to beat Bayern Munich in Berlin.
Hello everyone, Freddie Humphry-Wakefield here bringing you live coverage from the Olympiastadion in the German capital Berlin for this UEFA Cup Round of 32 first leg fixture between Bayern Munich and Norwich City. I hope you enjoy this live blog and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Norwich City come into this fixture having knocked out the Dutch first division side Vitesse Arnhem 3-0 on aggregate in the previous round, after a 3-0 win at Carrow Road, and a 0-0 draw in the away fixture. Yet another miracle moment for The Canaries after managing to finish third in the newly-named ‘Premier League’ last season, with an astonishing goal difference of -4. So far this season they have proved that they still belong amongst England’s elite, as they come into this game sitting second in the Premier League.
Bayern Munich come into this Second Round tie after also beating a Dutch first division side in FC Twente 7-3 on aggregate in the previous round, after winning the first leg 3-4 in the Netherlands, and then winning the second leg 3-0 here at the Olympiastadion. They are currently sat third in the Bundesliga.
Many punters will be looking at this game, and expecting nothing but a routine Bayern Munich win, they just look too strong on paper for Norwich City. However, the Canaries could potentially pull off one of the greatest upsets in UEFA Cup history.
Here’s the lineups for tonight’s fixture for both sides:
1 Raimond Auman (c) (GK)
2 Jorginho
3 Christian Ziege
4 Oliver Kreuzer
5 Thomas Helmer
6 Christian Nerlinger
7 Jan Wouters
8 Marcel Witeczek
9 Adolfo Valencia
10 Lothar Matthaus
11 Mehmet Scholl
Bayern Munich are without Markus Schupp tonight, after he was suspended after receiving two yellow cards in the previous round against FC Twente, Olaf Thon returns to the bench after declaring himself fit after being out for the last six weeks due to injury. Safe to say Erich Ribbeck has gone with a very strong side tonight and will want the tie to be finished in this first leg alone.
1 Bryan Gunn (GK)
2 Ian Culverhouse
3 Mark Bowen
4 Ian Butterworth (c)
5 Spencer Prior
6 Rob Newman
7 Mark Robins
8 Ian Crook
9 Chris Sutton
10 Ruel Fox
11 Jeremy Goss
The Canaries are without John Polston and Efan Ekoku who have both scored seven goals so far this season, due to injury doubts. Those two, along with Ian Culverhouse, Rob Newman, Gary Megson and Ian Crook, were all booked in the previous match against Vitesse Arnhem, meaning that a booking for any of them tonight will not allow them to play in the second leg at Carrow Road. Given the circumstances, Mike Walker has gone all guns blazing with the best possible starting eleven he could put together.
The players are now walking out, we’re just minutes away from kicking off! Over 1000 Norwich fans have made the trip tonight, hopefully their journey is worth it. However, Bayern Munich are yet to lose to a British side at the Olympiastadion. It’s most likely only going one way tonight.
MIN 1 – Leif Sundell blows his whistle, Norwich City kick off, and we’re underway at the Olympiastadion for this UEFA Cup Round of 32 first leg.
MIN 2 – Almost a perfect start for Bayern Munich. Christian Ziege recieves the ball on the left wing, delivers a left-footed cross to the feet of Marcel Witeczek, who’s right-footed effort from just outside the six-yard box hits the side netting. Very early warning for the Canaries.
MIN 6 – Mehmet Scholl goes for goal with his left foot from 35 yards out, but his effort goes well wide of the post and results in a Norwich goal kick.
MIN 9 – Norwich look to get forward with a lovely passing move between Rob Newman and Mark Robins seeing the two attack down the right hand side exchanging quick one-touch passes, but Bayern deal with it and get the ball clear.
WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE GOAL FROM JEREMY GOSS! Newman looks to deliver the cross into the box, Lothar Matthaus struggles to get any power on his headed clearance, and Jeremy Goss connects wonderfully with a right footed volley into the back of the net. Incerdible strike from the Welsh international. Completely against the run of play, it’s 1-0 to Norwich City in Berlin.
MIN 15 – Norwich are forced into making a change. Robins is unable to continue after tweaking his hamstring just moments before the goal, and Daryl Sutch is brought on by Mike Walker.
MIN 20 – The Canaries now looking to slow down the tempo of this game. Bayern continue to get forward time and time again, but Norwich are able to force them back each time and frustrate the home side into making poor decisions.
MIN 23 – Almost another for Norwich. Sutch collects the ball from Ian Crook’s corner after the Bayern Munich defense seem to just leave the ball, and Sutch is denied at the near post by Raimond Aumen, who pushes it out for another Norwich corner.
IT GETS BETTER AND BETTER FOR NORWICH CITY IN BERLIN! Crook plays in a fantastic cross from a freekick, the Bayern Munich defense struggle to spot Bowen arrive at the back post, and he beautifally guides his header into the back of the net. Norwich double the lead and are doing the unthinkable. 2-0 to the Canaries.
MIN 34 – ‘On The Ball City’ rings round the Olympiastadion from the 1000 Norwich fans. What an evening they’re having here in the German capital. As for the 27,000 Bayern Munich fans in the ground, the less said the better.
BAYERN GET THEMSELVES BACK IN THE GAME! Jorginho crosses the ball in from the right hand side, and Nerlinger is at full flight to power his header beyond Bryan Gunn, who stood no chance. The defecit is halved here and Bayern will look to build upon this momentum. Nelringer now has seven goals in all competitions this season. Very impressive for a centre half.
MIN 45 + 1 – Great chance wasted by Adolfo Valencia. After a teriffic long ball by Zeige, he gets behind the back line, and is unable to poke the ball past Gunn and hits it straight at the Scottish goalkeeper.
What a fantastic half of football that was. Norwich City taking their chances when needed, seeing Goss score a wonderful volley followed by a delightful Robins header to double the lead. Bayern Munich will want to get themselves back in the game after Nerlinger’s powerful header to halve the defecit, but Norwich will want to keep them out and hold on for a historic and record-breaking win. The Canaries are just 45 minutes away from being the first British side to beat Bayern Munich at the Olympiastadion. They are also now the only British team to score more than once at the Olympiastadion against Bayern Munich. Big second half now for both sides.
The teams are now making their way back onto the pitch. The second half is just moments away from starting.
MIN 46 – Bayern Munich get us back underway here at the Olympiastadion.
MIN 47 – Bayern are making a fast start to this second half. They’ve already managed to get two corners and clearly are looking for a quick equaliser.
MIN 51 – Norwich get their first attack of the half. Ruel Fox looks to get the shot away after a fast counter-attack down the right hand side, but Matthaus has enough time to get the vital block in which results in a corner.
MIN 53 – Valencia hits a right footed shot from 10 yards out, but he scuffs it ever so slightly which allows Gunn to catch the shot and hold onto it comfortably.
MIN 54 – This could be bad news for Norwich City. Chris Sutton has gone down holding his knee, but the 20-year-old looks as if he can continue.
MIN 56 – First booking of the game and it’s very harsh on the Norwich captain Ian Butterworth. His challenge on Valencia looks like a genuine and clean tackle, but the Swedish referee Leif Sundell gives him a yellow card.
MIN 60 – Bayern Munich make thier first change. Christian Ziege makes way for Michael Sternkopf. Will the change pay off for Erich Ribbeck’s side?
MIN 63 – Bayern get forward again, but the resulting cross from Jorginho is over-hit and ends up being way too high for anyone in a red and blue shirt to get their head on it.
MIN 65 – Another change made by Erich Ribbeck for his side, Mehmet Scholl makes way for Bruno Labbadia.
MIN 67 – Fantastic defensive display by Norwich so far this half. They’ve kept out the Bayern Munich attack, especially Valenica, pretty much the whole half and aren’t letting them anywhere near Gunn’s goal. However, Bayern’s pressure is slowly becoming harder to cope with. For the first time in this game, you feel as if they’re hanging on.
MIN 75 – Norwich almost see themselves get a third, and get a rare chance this half. Fox gets on the end of a long ball from deep inside the Norwich half, looks to sqaure it to Sutch, but it’s intercepted by Oliver Kreuzer.
MIN 78 – ASTONISHING SAVE FROM GUNN! Fantanstic cross from the right hand side from Jorginho, Valencia meets it with a diving header about five yards from goal, and Gunn gets down low and quickly to pull off a fine save. He’s kept his side in the lead in fine fashion. Somehow it remains 2-1 to the Canaries.
MIN 85 – Norwich City are just five minutes away from becoming the first British side to score more than one goal and beat Bayern Munich at the Olympiastadion. Can they continue to hold on to this lead in Berlin?
MIN 87 – Norwich get themselves a corner after Chris Sutton is tackled on the left hand side by Sternkopf before getting the cross into the box. The resulting corner is headed away by Nerlinger.
MIN 90 – We’re now into added time at the Olympiastadion. Can Norwich City get a histroic victory? Or will Bayern Munich break yellow and green hearts late on in this UEFA Cup Round of 32 tie?
MIN 90 + 2 – Almost a late equaliser for Bayern. Labbadia finds himelf one-on-one with Gunn, but the Scottish goalkeeper gets their first and won’t want to let that ball go out of his gloves.
HISTORY IS MADE HERE IN BERLIN! Norwich City have become the first British team to defeat Bayern Munich at the Olympiastadion, and also the first British team to score twice at the Olympiastadion. That may go down as the best result in the club’s history. Jeremy Goss with an outstanding volley, followed by a fine header from Mark Bowen. Bayern Munich got one back through a powerful Christian Nerlinger header, but it wasn’t enough in the end.
Norwich City go into the second leg at Carrow Road back in Norfolk with a 2-1 lead, and Erich Ribbeck will have to go back to the drawing board, and come up with a new plan in order to prevent the Canaries from eliminating the German giants. Mike Walker, on the other hand, will be desperate for his side to go through to the last 16 of the UEFA Cup. They couldn’t, surely?
I’ve been Freddie Humphry-Wakefield, and I’ll see you next time!
