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Kahn artist Bayern wins Champions League on penalties
Updated: Wednesday May 23, 2001 7:05 PM
MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Bayern Munich had two chances Wednesday to win the Champions Cup on penalties. Only able to convert one of two from the spot in regulation, the German powerhouse outlasted Valencia in a back-and-forth shootout, 5-4, to capture the club's first Champions Cup in 25 years. Following a 1-1 end at regulation -- with each team's goal coming on a penalty shot -- and a scoreless 30 minutes of overtime, each club missed two of the first five attempts in the shootout. Finally, Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn was decisive, stopping Mauricio Pellegrino's attempt and making Valencia -- a 3-0 loser to Real Madrid in the final a year ago -- runner-up for the second straight season. Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who won Europe's most prestigious title with Borussia Dortmund four seasons ago, triumphed again with another Bundesliga club four days after leading Bayern to its third league title in a row. The Champions Cup is the fourth for the storied German club, which won three straight in the 1970s, but lost to Manchester United two years ago after giving up two injury-time goals. "The Champions league is always something unique for a club," said Hitzfelf. "It's not enough to be in the final, you have to win it. It's bitter for Valencia, something that we had to experience ourselves two years ago." The game began as a shootout of sorts, with Valencia's Gaizka Mendieta knocking in a penalty in the second minute and Bayern's Mehmet Scholl unable to convert five minutes later. The early edge, both psychological and on the scoreboard, would not last for the Spanish upstarts at the San Siro Stadium. Bayern captain Stefan Effenberg converted a penalty in the 50th to even the match, with the Munich club dominating play throughout much of the match. Asked if it the win was the greatest moment of his career, 32-year-old Effenberg said, "certainly, that's it." In the shootout, Hasan Salihamidzic, Alexander Zickler, Effenberg, Bixente Lizarazu and Thomas Linke all hit the target for Bayern. Valencia' Gaizka Mendieta, John Carew, Ruben Baraja and Kily Gonzalez also scored from the spot. Bayern's Paulo Sergio fired the first spot kick over the bar, Swedish defender Patrik Andersson had one saved while Valencia's Slovenian striker Zlatko Zahovic and Italian defender Amedeo Carboni had spot kicks saved by Kahn. It was the sixth time that the Champions Cup final had been decided on penalties after triumphs by Liverpool in 1984, Steaua Bucharest in '86, PSV Eindhoven in '88, Red Star Belgrade in '91 and Juventus in '96. In regulation, Mendieta set up his own penalty, firing a shot inside the Bayern area that was stuffed, and in the ensuing melee, Dutch referee Dick Jol ruled that the Bundesliga champion's Swedish defender, Patrik Andersson, had touched the ball with his forearm while lying on his back. Mendieta took the spot kick and fired the Spaniards ahead. Bayern, who was runner-up to Manchester United two seasons ago, should have been level within four minutes when Effenberg pushed the ball forward on the left and was chopped down by Valencia's French defender Jocelyn Angloma. Again Jol pointed to the spot but, this time, Scholl's penalty was too close to the advancing Canizares and the Valencia 'keeper blocked it with his legs. A strong favorite to win the title against a team that lost 3-0 to Real Madrid in last season's final, Bayern enjoyed plenty of possession with French World Cup star Lizarazu and Salihamidzic attacking down the left. When Angloma was judged to have fouled the Bosnian on the edge of the area, Scholl had a chance to make up for his penalty blunder but his free kick flashed wide of the far post. Five minutes before half time, lanky Valencia striker Carew had a chance to made it 2-0 but headed wide from Mendieta's long range free kick. Then French defender Willy Sagnol joined the Bayern attack only to shoot wildly wide from a good position on the edge of the Spaniards' area. Bayern beefed up its attack sending on the tall Carsten Jancker for Sagnol for the second half and the move paid off within five minutes of his appearance when his challenge on Carboni to meet a cross from Giovane Elber forced the Italian defender to handle the ball while falling. Effenberg stepped up to take the spot kick and made no mistake, sending Canizares the wrong way. By now getting few chances against the Bayern defense, Valencia sent on Slovenian striker Zahovic for Juan Sanchez in the 66th minute but it was still Bayern who were dictating the game. Six minutes from the end, however, Zahovic had a chance to settle the game when Carew's low right-wing cross found him in a good position at the near post only for alert Bayern 'keeper Kahn to dive at his feet to smother the ball. And, in the third minute of injury time, Jancker let fly from 30 meters only for the ball to fly past the post. In extra time, Canizares blocked a close range shot from Elber, Scholl fired a free kick tamely wide and the Valencia 'keeper also kept out an angled drive by Salihamidzic. At the other end, Kahn dived at the foot of the post to keep out a shot from Zahovic and once more to hold a curling drive by Mendieta. A chance fell to Bayern substitute Paolo Sergio six minutes from the end of extra time but it was deflected over the top. Bayern, which won its third straight Bundesliga title Saturday, plays an exhibition game against the New York-New Jersey MetroStars of U.S. Major League Soccer on Saturday at Giants Stadium iutherford, N.J. Lineups: Bayern Munich - Oliver Kahn; Sammy Kuffour, Patrik Andersson, Thomas Linke; Willy Sagnol (Carsten Jancker 46th minute), Stefan Effenberg, Owen Hargreaves, Bixente Lizarazu; Hasan Salihamidzic, Giovane Elber (Alexander Zickler, 100th), Mehmet Scholl (Paolo Sergio 117th). Valencia - Santiago Canizares; Jocelyn Angloma, Roberto Fabian Ayala (Miroslav Djukic, 90th), Mauricio Pellegrino, Amedeo Carboni; Gaizka Mendieta, Ruben Baraja, Pablo Aimar (David Albelda, 46th), Kily Gonzalez; Juan Sanchez (Zlatko Zahovic, 66th), John Carew. Referee - Dick Jol, Netherlands.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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