Champions League Final 2012: The day FC Bayern died

Hours later. Corner for Chelsea. The first. Kroos has already scored what feels like 20 goals for Bayern, all harmless, but what the heck? It's 1-0 to Bayern, 1-0 to Munich, and the party is on.

So absurd and at the same time so logical

“And now: goal.” What David Luiz said to the completely exhausted Bastian Schweinsteiger as he ran past was met with nothing but bitter muttering from us in the stands. And then: goal. Header. Drogba. So absurd and yet so logical that at that moment I couldn’t even think of the bottle collector. Like everyone else, I couldn’t think of anything else at that moment. Except Schweinsteiger. He had already been on the sidelines in the 65th or 70th minute, his upper body heaving, drinking greedily, his body completely wrecked, his willpower keeping him going. What does Schweinsteiger do? He fights. With himself, against himself.

Then extra time. Then a penalty. Drogba fouls, Robben shoots. Schweinsteiger isn't looking. The wrong side of the arena is cheering. Schweinsteiger is hauled up by his goalkeeper; it seems to take him a long time until his will is stronger than his body. I'm just watching him now. And Drogba. A wrestling match of lost souls. Drogba struts up and down during the breaks, muttering to himself like a voodoo priest, as if in a trance. And Schweinsteiger plays a magnificent second half of extra time; this is his greatest game, without doubt. Then comes the penalty shootout. And Schweinsteiger. And Drogba. And then it's over, the game that Bastian Schweinsteiger had to lose three times and Didier Drogba had to win three times before it was finally decided.