2012/13 Champions League Guide

The 2012/13 season was a tale of two German giants, an English legend’s last stand, and a final that was less a contest and more a coronation. It was the year Jupp Heynckes’ Bayern Munich exorcised the ghosts of their "Finale dahoam" heartbreak, dismantling the competition with ruthless efficiency. The Narrative Arc: Revenge of the Germans After the 2012 Final at the Allianz Arena—where Bayern lost to Chelsea on penalties in front of their own fans—the Bavarians were a team possessed. They channeled their anguish into a season of unprecedented dominance. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund, the upstarts led by the charismatic Jürgen Klopp, developed Europe’s most thrilling counter-attacking machine.