Chelsea finally earned a dangerous set piece in the 33rd minute after Gary Cahill went sprawling following minimal contact with Jerome Boateng. Yes Boateng stepped in on Cahill, but the replayed showed the defender was on his way down before he actually made contact with the Bayern midfielder. In the end, it mattered not as Juan Mata's free kick went well over the cross bar.
Bayern Munich Vs. Chelsea, 2012 UEFA Champions League Final: Chelsea Finally Threaten on the Attack
Given how the match is progressing, you have to think that Chelsea will need to do better with chances like that since they are spending the rest of their team desperately trying to keep Bayern from finding the match’s first goal.
After a solid 20 minutes of defensive play, Chelsea got adventurous. Didier Drogba got involved for the first time, getting behind the Bayern defense but the ball didn't fall quick enough, allowing the defenders to recover. Minutes later on a break, Chelsea brilliantly changed the point of attack, finding Soloman Kalou alone on the wing, racing in on Manuel Neuer. The goalkeeper smothered Kalou's shot, but it was an impressive reversal of flow.
Bayern answered but after Ribery made a fantastic pass in the box to a charging Gomez, it was completed wasted as the forward decided to take a touch rather than just unleashing a shot. The ball bounced harmlessly out of play.
We' ll have live coverage and updates throughout the game in our 2012 UEFA Champions League Final StoryStream. For more on Bayern, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works. For more on the Blues, check out Chelsea FC blog We Ain't Got No History. For more on the entire world of football, follow @SBNationSoccer on twitter.
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