Drogba rescues Chelsea in Champions League final
Didier Drogba was the hero not once, but twice, Saturday as Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties to capture the Champions League final in Munich.
Drogba's header in the 88th minute leveled the match at 1-1 and forced extra time. After 30 scoreless minutes, 10 players were given the task of beating the opposing goalkeeper from 12 yards out.
Drogba, 34 years young and possibly playing his final game in a Chelsea uniform, was the seventh and final one who did.
Bayern had the advantage early after Chelsea's Mata missed the Blues' first attempt. Bayern's Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer all converted. However, Ivica Olic missed Bayern's fourth kick and Ashley Cole made his to pull Chelsea even again.
In the fifth round, it was Bastian Schweinsteiger versus Drogba. Schweinsteiger hesitated on his approach and fired it low and to the right, but it hit the post. Drogba then cooly placed it in the low left corner -- as Neuer guessed right (and wrong) -- and Chelsea went nuts.
The victory gave Chelsea its first Champions League title. In its last appearance in the final in 2008, it lost to Manchester United on penalties when captain John Terry missed a vital kick.