Chelsea win Champions League after penalty shoot out drama in Munich

Chelsea win Champions League after penalty shoot out drama in Munich

May 19, 2012 -- Updated 2148 GMT (0548 HKT)

Didier Drogba proved Chelsea's hero on a dramatic night in the Allianz Arena.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Chelsea beat Bayern in penalty shootout to win Champions Leauge
• Thomas Mueller put Bayern ahead in 83rd minute
• Didier Drogba equalized for Chelsea with two minutes left
• Drogba scores winning penalty for English Premier League side

(CNN) -- Didier Drogba scored the winner in a dramatic penalty shootout as Chelsea beat Bayern Munich Saturday to win the European Champions League for the first time.

The Ivorian striker coolly slotted his kick to spark mass celebrations among his teammates and the Chelsea fans in Bayern's Allianz Arena.

Manuel Neuer had saved Juan Mata's first penalty for Chelsea to give Bayern the early advantage in the shootout, but Petr Cech saved a weak Ivica Olic effort before Bastian Schweinsteiger saw his penalty hit the post.

The match had finished 1-1 after extra time, with Thomas Mueller putting Bayern ahead in the 83rd minute before Drogba dramatically leveled with two minutes remaining.

Arjen Robben missed a penalty in the first half of extra time, setting up the dramatic penalty finale.

In front of their own fans at the Allianz Arena, Bayern were always the more threatening side without carving out a string of clear cut chances.

Their best opportunities in the first half saw a shot from Robben deflected on to his own woodwork by Cech while Bayern's top scorer Mario Gomez fired over just before the interval.

Salomon Kalou's effort, pushed aside by Manuel Neuer, was the sole Chelsea effort of note.

The second half followed the same pattern and just after the break Bayern had the ball in the net through Franck Ribery, but it was ruled out for marginal offside.

Fans v Oligarch: Battle for Football's soul

Bayern's pressure finally paid off with seven minutes to go as Toni Kroos crossed for German international midfielder Mueller to head past Cech.

It looked all over for Chelsea but their never say die attitude, so evident in the semifinal win over Barcelona, came to the fore again.

Winning their first corner with only two minutes of normal time remaining, Mata's perfect delivery was met by Drogba to head home at the near post.

It was his 34th goal in the Champions League and surely never more crucial.

Into extra time and another dramatic twist as goal hero Drogba tripped Ribery to concede a penalty, injuring the French international who played no further part in the final.

Robben, playing against his old club, stepped up after a considerable delay and his weak effort was saved by Cech.

Ribery's replacement Ivica Olic wasted another glorious opportunity in the second half of extra time, caught in two minds after a Philipp Lahm cross.

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