Last-minute winners: — Scott Skinner

Two years after the heartache of the Camp Nou, Bayern Munich were facing another last-minute catastrophe, until an unlikely hero stepped forward…

Bayern Munich know all about last-minute goals. In 1999, the red and blue ribbons of Bayern were already tied around the Champions League trophy before Manchester United produced not one, but two, last-gasp goals to break German hearts. Just two years later, as the sand ran dry on the last day of the German domestic season, it looked liked another last-minute goal would once more snatch a title from the grasp of the Bavarians.

Bayern went into the final game of the season three points ahead of Schalke and required only a draw from their final game – a home tie against Hamburg – to win their 17 Bundesliga title. Hamburg were safe from relegation but languished in the bottom half of the table after a disappointing year.

Bayern’s rivals for the title, Schalke, had run the Bundesliga champions close but a 1-0 defeat to Stuttgart in the penultimate match of the season had convinced many of their fans they had blown their big chance. Schalke’s only hope lay in their superior goal difference – if Bayern slipped up, Die Königsblauen (The Royal Blues) would be waiting to take full advantage. But Schalke still had to see off SpVgg Unterhaching, a battling underdog from the outskirts of Munich, fighting for their league survival.

In the balance

In the early stages, as Bayern held off a sprightly Hamburg, Schalke were seeing their championship dreams evaporate as Unterhaching raced into a 2-0 lead within 30 minutes. The Bayern fans may have been celebrating, but their players were still displaying signs of nerves as a carefree Hamburg continued to threaten the Bayern goal. And their fears grew as news filtered through that their title rivals had clawed their way back into the game at Schalke’s Parkstadion. As the half time whistles’ blew, Schalke were drawing 2-2 while Bayern and Hamburg remained goalless.

Into the second half, the nervy encounter in Munich had fans’ thoughts turning to events at the pulsating encounter in the Ruhr Valley, where Unterhaching had once more taken the lead before being pegged back by a Jörg Böhme free kick. Then Böhme shimmied into the box and lofted the ball over the Unterhaching keeper. Schalke finally had the lead, and as the news filtered back across the country it was truly squeaky bum time for Munich’s players and fans.

The Bayern manager, Ottmar Hitzfeld stood rigid on the sideline, like someone awaiting some sensitive hospital test results. He had good reason to look concerned. Just as Schalke were adding a fifth goal in the final minute of their game, Hamburg’s inspirational Czech, Marek Heinz, floated an inviting ball into the Bayern box. This was meat and potatoes for Hamburg’s prolific Bosnian striker Sergej Barbarez who rose to nod the ball into the bottom corner, stunning the home crowd and sending the Bayern bench into a state of shock. Was history about to repeat itself?

Short-lived glory

Over at Schalke’s Parkstadion the home fans flooded onto the pitch and the players embraced as they celebrated what seemed to be the club’s eighth title and first in 43 years. But as the Parkstadion rocked, back at the Olympiastadion, Bayern were marauding forward, trying to rescue their title challenge as the clock ticked on.

Then, Hamburg’s Tomáš Ujfaluši, under pressure from a swarming Bayern front line, knocked the ball back towards his keeper Mathias Schober who instinctively pounced, smothering the ball. Referee Markus Merk heeded the frantic Bayern protests and awarded Munich an indirect free kick some seven yards out. Schober – ironically on loan from Schalke – had presented Bayern with one final chance to wrest the Bundesliga trophy from their rivals’ grasp.

As Bayern keeper, Oliver Kahn bulldozed his way into the Hamburg box, Stefan Effenberg began to plot the all-important free-kick. The omnipotent Effenberg would surely take the decisive kick, particularly as Bayern’s free kick specialist, Mehmet Scholl, had been substituted. However, the tall midfielder simply tapped the ball to the side as the surprising figure of Patrik Andersson ran into view. The Danish defender smacked the ball through the scrum of Hamburg defenders into the bottom corner of the goal to win the title for the Bavarians. The stadium erupted as the Danish stopper was mobbed by his team mates. It was to be Andersson’s only goal in a Bayern shirt – but what a goal.

Schalke’s joy turned to tears. Many within the Parkstadion had believed the Bayern game had already finished when news filtered through of Andersson’s decisive strike – Die Königsblauen hearts were broken. Schalke’s Danish striker Ebbe Sand said sadly: ‘We were champions for four minutes. It was so great.’

One week later, Bayern further exorcised memories of the Camp Nou in 1999 by defeating Valencia 5-4 on penalties in the Champions League Final in the San Siro.