Bayern Munich's route to UEFA Champions League success
Bayern Munich's progression to 2019/20 UEFA Champions League glory was nothing short of breathtaking. There were 11 wins in 11 games, an astonishing 43 goals, record-breaking four-goal salvos, and crushing victories over some of the biggest names in Europe.
bundesliga.com looks back on how Hansi Flick's exhilarating team became European champions for a sixth time.
Group Stage
Bayern Munich 3-0 Red Star Belgrade
(Coman 34', Lewandowski 80', Muller 90+1')
Bayern began their campaign in Group B as favourites to qualify for the last 16 by finishing in the top two. Serbian champions Red Star were the visitors to Munich on Matchday 1, and the home side sent an ominous message to their rivals with a particularly powerful performance.
Having been edged out by eventual champions Liverpool in 2018/19, Bayern tore into the plucky visitors - who did well to hold on so long before conceding.
The opening goal was a sign of things to come for the rest of the season, as one winger set up another as part of a great team effort. Ivan Perisic whipped over an inviting cross from the left and Kingsley Coman met it with a flying header. Late on Robert Lewandowski highlighted the ferocious work rate that would epitomise his campaign, chasing down a seemingly lost cause to prod in from close range.
Two more Bayern stars then demonstrated the invention and intelligence that they have become known for to round off the scoring. With everyone expecting a shot, Thiago cleverly clipped a free-kick over the wall for Thomas Müller to volley home.
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Yes, Bayern had been expected to win - and duly took all three points in their opening group game for the 16th consecutive time. Having had 34 attempts at goal and 14 corners in an utterly dominant display, though, this felt different.
Tottenham Hotspur 2-7 Bayern Munich
(Son 12', Kimmich 15', Lewandowski 45', 87', Gnabry 53', 55', 83', 88', Kane pen. 61')
Suspicions that Bayern were in the mood to rise to the occasion in Europe were emphatically confirmed on the first day of October. Tottenham took the lead on Matchday 2 through former Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen star Heung-min Son, but the German champions responded brilliantly through Joshua Kimmich's long-range drive.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was in good form early on, and another great finish from Lewandowski from the edge of the area gave the visitors a half-time lead.
After that, Serge Gnabry took over. The former Arsenal player enjoyed a spectacular return to London by scoring four second-half goals. Gnabry hadn't even started against Red Star, but he and Bayern were at their merciless best as they cut apart the 2018/19 Champions League runners-up. Lewandowski also got his second of the game as Spurs conceded seven goals at home for the very first time.
"I think [the other teams] know we are not stopping," Gnabry told UEFA afterwards. "After 3-1 or 4-2 we could have stopped - but we wanted more. I think it's a big message for everyone else."
(El Arabi 23', Lewandowski 34', 62', Tolisso 75', Guilherme 79')
On Matchday 3 Bayern showed that they could cope with adversity. The visitors had lost Niklas Süle to a cruciate ligament injury before their trip to Greece, and they soon found themselves a goal down against the fired-up hosts.
Watch: See all 34 of Lewandowki's Bundesliga goals in 2019/20
Bayern lost another key defender when Lucas Hernandez hobbled off in the second half, but by then they were level thanks to a poacher's finish from Lewandowski. The Pole repeated the trick shortly after Hernandez's departure, and half-time substitute Corentin Tolisso curled into the top corner to make it three wins from three.
(Lewandowski 69', Perisic 89')
Although Bayern had impressed in Europe, their Bundesliga title defence had gotten off to a shaky start. The seven-in-a-row champions were fourth after 10 games following a 5-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt, a result that led to Hansi Flick taking over as interim coach in place of Niko Kovac.
Flick's first match in charge was at the start of November against Olympiacos, who had given Bayern a scare two weeks previously. The Greeks proved stubborn opposition once again, and it took the hosts 20 attempts at goal before they finally broke the deadlock. Lewandowski poked home from Coman's cross before Perisic came off the bench to book Bayern's place in the last 16.
Red Star Belgrade 0-6 Bayern Munich
(Goretzka 14', Lewandowski pen. 53', 60', 64', 68', Tolisso 89')
With a new coach to impress, there was no danger of Bayern letting up in their remaining group matches. Leon Goretzka's impressive header got them on their way on Matchday 5 in Serbia, before Lewandowski registered the quickest four-goal haul in Champions League history.
The Poland captain famously scored four goals for Borussia Dortmund against Real Madrid in the 2012/13 semi-final, and here he netted as many again in just 16 second-half minutes.
"I have to confess," Lewandowski said on Twitter after the game. "I am addicted to scoring goals."
Watch: See Müller's Bundesliga goals and assists in 2019/20
Bayern's star striker had taken his Champions League tally to 10 for the season, while French midfielder Tolisso added the sixth of the night. Bayern – who had also hammered both Dortmund and Fortuna Düsseldorf 4-0 in the Bundesliga – made it four wins, 16 goals, and none conceded in Flick’s first four games.
Bayern Munich 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
(Coman 14', Sessegnon 20', Müller 45', Coutinho 64')
Barnstorming Bayern rounded off the group stage in style, beating Spurs in Munich to becoming only the seventh team to win all six games.
Lewandowski was rested but that didn’t stop the goals flowing as Coman, Müller and Philippe Coutinho ensured Bayern were the only team this season to take a maximum haul of 18 points in the group stage. They were also the competition’s leading goalscorers with 24 goals scored and only five conceded.
Round of 16
First leg: Chelsea 0-3 Bayern Munich
(Gnabry 51', 54', Lewandowski 76')
Aggressive, overwhelming, and relentless in 2019, Bayern would deliver more of the same punishment in 2020. In February, they underlined their title credentials by condemning Chelsea to their heaviest ever home defeat in European competition.
Lewandowski turned provider for the first two, with Germany attacker Gnabry scoring once with his right foot and once with his left to take his personal tally to six goals in two matches in London. The devastating Bayern counter attacks continued, and an incredible run from Alphonso Davies allowed Lewandowski to slot home a third.
That meant the German champions had netted 19 times in their four away games in the Champions League - and that they had one foot in the quarter-finals.
Second leg: Bayern Munich 4-1 Chelsea
(Lewandowski pen. 10', 84', Perisic 24', Abraham 44', Tolisso 76')
The second leg - originally scheduled for March - was played in very different circumstances in August. While the coronavirus pandemic had interrupted the season, however, it did little to halt Bayern's progress under Flick.
The former Germany assistant manager had by this stage been given the head coach job on a permanent basis, and responded by guiding Bayern to another league and cup double.
Chelsea visited Germany almost six months after the first leg, and the hosts duly completed an impressive 7-1 aggregate victory.
Five-time Bundesliga top goalscorer Lewandowski won and converted a penalty before finishing the scoring with a bullet header. Perisic and Tolisso, meanwhile, highlighted their understated importance to the cause with further goals in between - both made by Lewandowski.
Quarter-finals
(Müller 4', 31', Alaba o.g. 7', Perisic 22', Gnabry 28', Suarez 57', Kimmich 63', Lewandowski 82', Coutinho 85', 89')
Bayern had been scoring freely all season, and particularly under Flick. His team reached new heights, however, when they dismantled five-time European champions Barcelona in the last eight.
The 29-time Bundesliga winners had travelled to Lisbon for the final eight tournament determined to win a first treble since 2012/13. Müller - rejuvenated under Flick - got them off to a flyer. David Alaba's own goal proved merely a blip, as Bayern beat their own record to become the fastest team to score four goals - taking just 31 minutes - in a Champions League knockout match.
Müller and Coutinho both netted twice as they blew the Spanish giants away to became the first team to score eight times in a Champions League knockout match. Bayern also took their tally to an incredible 152 goals in all competitions in 2019/20 - one more than their club record from 2012/13.
"We were rampant," Kimmich - who made it 5-2 - said afterwards. "Winning 8-2 against Barcelona is unimaginable. Our focus was ruthless from the start."
Semi-finals
(Gnabry 18' 33', Lewandowski 88')
Following such a sensational display in the quarter-final, it was perhaps inevitable that Bayern would take a little while to get going in the last four. Gnabry brought them surging back to life, however, firing into the top corner for a stunning individual goal. The 25-year-old then doubled the advantage before the break, and he now has nine goals in as many games in Europe this season.
Lewandowski, who against Barcelona had got his 50th Champions League goal for Bayern, then scored a towering header late on. It was his 15th goal in this season’s competition and 68th overall, putting him fourth in the all-time ranking.
The 32-year-old is only the third player to score in nine consecutive Champions League matches, and he now has a scarcely believable 55 goals in all competitions in 2019/20.
Bayern became the first team to win their opening 10 matches in a Champions League campaign - equalling the competition record for successive victories that they themselves set between April and November 2013.
That left them just one game away from further glory. "It wasn't so much of a celebration in the dressing room, but more of a focus on the final already," said Kimmich afterwards. "That's what characterises us at the moment."
Final
(Coman 59')
Flick had promised that Bayern would maintain their high pressing style against PSG and he was true to his word in fiercely contested opening phase.
There were chances for both teams, with Lewandowski hitting the post early on, but the game was goalless at the break. That all changed in the second half as Bayern scored following their best move of the game.
Thiago found Kimmich with a brilliant pass, and after a neat interchange between Gnabry and Goretzka, Kimmich floated a ball to the back post for Coman to nod home what would be the only goal of the game and seal the club's second treble.
In all, the six-time European champions have now won all 15 of their matches since the restart, and are 26 games unbeaten in 2020.
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