Champions League Team Overview: Bayern Munich

 Champions League Teams: Overview         Team 1: Bayern Munich 

Picture Above: Bayern Munich enjoying their latest Champions League success in the 2019-20 season, beating French side, Paris Saint-Germain 1-0, in the final in Lisbon.

Location: Munich, Germany 

Stadium: Allianz Arena, Munich

Best Finish: Winners (6: 1973/74, 1974/75, 1975-76, 2000-01, 2012-13, 2019-20)

UEFA Club Ranking: 2nd

2022-23 Finish: Quarter-Finals (4-1 on aggregate vs Man City)

Top Scorer: Robert Lewandowski (69)
Most Appearances: Thomas Muller (149)*

* Indicates that this player is still in the current competition

Bayern Munich are by far the greatest German team to ever grace the competition with six season wins since the competition's founding in 1955. Bayern's first ever appearance in the Champions League came in the 1969-70 season, losing in the first round 3-2 on aggregate against French side, Saint-Étienne. It wasn't until 1974, when the Bavarian side would win their first European Cup, coming in a 4-0 win against Atletico Madrid in a replay in the final in Brussels. Bayern would win another two Champions League titles in a row, after their first win, making them the second team to win three Champions League titles in a row. Their 1975 title came in a 2-0 win over England's Leeds United in Paris, while their third in a row came in Glasgow, beating Saint-Étienne 1-0. It took the Bavarian side another five years to make another Champions League final, however, in 1982, they made another final against Aston Villa. However, they lost 1-0 and lost their first final in the competition. After final heartbreak in 1987 and 1999, Bayern finally got their hands on the title in 2001, beating Valencia 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time. After their 2001 success, Bayern made another Champions League final against Inter Milan. However, it wasn't their night in Madrid, as the Italian side won their first title since 1965. In 2012, they made the final on home soil in the Allianz Arena. However, despite playing in front of their own fans, their opponents Chelsea, prevailed from a 4-3 penalty shootout. However, a year later, they made the final in Wembley again, and they played their fiercest rivals, Borussia Dortmund in the first ever Der Klassiker final. Bayern won that game 2-1 thanks to the late heroics of Dutch forward, Arjen Robben. After various semi-final defeats, Bayern finally returned to their summit, however, they did it without their fans as the 2019-20 finals had to be played behind closed doors due to the corona-virus pandemic in Europe. Thanks to a goal from Kingsley Coman goal, Bayern were crowned European champions for the sixth time in their history. Since then Bayern had three consecutive quarter final exits, but that could change this season.

Bayern Munich Finals: 

1973/74: W (Atletico Madrid 4-0, King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium)

1974/75: W (Leeds United 2-0, Parc de Prances, Paris, France)

1975/76: W (Saint Etienne 1-0, Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland)

1981/82: L (Aston Villa, 0-1, De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands)
1986/87: L (Porto, 1-2, Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria) 

1998/99: L (Manchester United, 1-2, Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain)

2000/01: W (Valencia, 1(5)-1(4), San Siro, Milan, Italy)
2009/10: L (Inter Milan, 0-2, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain)

2011/12: L (Chelsea, 1(3)-1(4), Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany)
2012/13: W (Borussia Dortmund, 2-1, Wembley Stadium, London, England)

2019/20: W (Paris Saint Germain, 1-0, Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal)