Bayern Munich v Norwich City

Bayern Munich v Norwich City
Event 1993–94 UEFA Cup, second round
Bayern Munich Norwich City
1 2
Date 19 October 1993
Venue Olympiastadion, Munich
Referee Leif Sundell (Sweden)
Attendance 28,500

Bayern Munich vs Norwich City was a first leg match in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup second round, played on 19 October 1993. The match was won by Norwich City, who beat Bayern Munich 2–1.

The match, "an apparent mismatch",[1] was a huge upset in European football; it has been described as "the pinnacle of Norwich City's history" and it was the only defeat ever inflicted by a British club on Bayern Munich in their Olympiastadion.[2] That it was Norwich that inflicted the defeat was startling: Norwich were "mere babes at this level",[3] and, according to Norwich player Jeremy Goss, "There's no doubt Bayern assumed it would be easy".[4]

The second leg was played on 3 November 1993 and was drawn 1–1, meaning that Norwich won the tie 3–2 on aggregate. They went on to be defeated by eventual champions Internazionale in the third round.[5][6]

Background

Walker targeted World-Cup winner Lothar Matthäus as an unlikely weak link in the Bayern Munich team.

This was Norwich City's only European campaign,[7] achieved by virtue of finishing in third place in the inaugural Premier League season,[8] their highest-ever league placing.[7] The European campaign capped Norwich City's "great success in the early Nineties".[9]

By contrast, Bayern were regular competitors in European competitions. The club had, at the time of the tie, won four European trophies,[10] as well as 12 German titles,[11] and a host of domestic cups.[12] Moreover, Bayern were to go on to win the Bundesliga once again that season.[12] Norwich's victory was, by the time that Bayern Munich moved to a new stadium, the only win at the Olympiastadion by any visiting team in UEFA club football.[13]

Norwich striker Chris Sutton's father, Mike, recalls that pundits had predicted an overwhelming win for Bayern Munich: "I remember Alan McInally predicting that Bayern were going to win by about ten."[14] The apparent mismatch between the sides led to an expectation of an overwhelming Munich victory. In The Times, columnist Martin Samuel summarised the situation: "The Germans had never lost at home to an English side and Norwich's expedition was regarded as little more than an exotic day out with a football match attached".[15] This perception couldn't help but reach the players, which was to be significant. According to Norwich player, Jeremy Goss, before the match, "everyone around us was saying we would do well to keep it down to three or four nil".[16] Both camps were to respond to this feeling, in a manner that has subsequently been viewed as contributory to the eventual result.

In the days leading up to the match, Norwich manager, Mike Walker, remained resolutely optimistic: "Clearly nobody had alerted Walker to the doomed nature of his mission ... the day before the game he was telling anybody who would listen that he fancied it".[15] Walker had focused his attention on an unlikely weak link in Munich's team: Lothar Matthäus was the captain of Germany, a player with a distinguished pedigree in European football. He had won most of the major honours available to him, including the most recent World Cup,[17] the Ballon d'Or,[18] and the FIFA World Player of the Year.[19] Yet by now Matthäus was 32 years old,[20] perhaps past his best.[15] He was no longer playing in the position of midfield in which he had enjoyed so much success for club and country, he was operating for Munich as a sweeper.[21] "With the bravado of a European novice it was Walker's opinion that ... [Matthäus] wasn't good enough. Delightfully, he was right".[15]

The Independent assessed Norwich's tactics as follows: "Walker has introduced a sweeper system and given it a positive face. Three defenders patrol the spaces in front of Ian Culverhouse while Mark Bowen advances to add his control and passing ability to the forward momentum".[22]

Match

Details

19 October 1993
20:45 CEST
Bayern Munich 1–2 Norwich City
Nerlinger  41' Report Goss  12'
Bowen  30'
Olympiastadion, Munich
Attendance: 28,500[23]
Referee: Leif Sundell (Sweden)
Bayern Munich
Norwich City
GK 1Germany Raimond Aumann (c)
SW 10Germany Lothar Matthäus
CB 4 Germany Oliver Kreuzer
CB 5Germany Thomas Helmer
RWB2Brazil Jorginho
LWB3 Germany Christian Ziege  60'
CM 6Germany Christian Nerlinger
CM 7Netherlands Jan Wouters
AM 11Germany Mehmet Scholl  65'
CF 8Germany Marcel Witeczek
CF 9 Colombia Adolfo Valencia
Substitutes:
GK 12 Germany Uwe Gospodarek
MF 13 Germany Michael Sternkopf  60'
MF 14 Germany Olaf Thon
FW 15Germany Bruno Labbadia  65'
FW 16 Germany Alexander Zickler
Manager:
Germany Erich Ribbeck
GK 1Scotland Bryan Gunn
SW 2England Ian Culverhouse
CB 5England Spencer Prior
CB 4England Ian Butterworth (c)   56'
CB 6 England Rob Newman
RM 10Montserrat Ruel Fox
CM 8England Ian Crook
CM 11Wales Jeremy Goss
LM 3 Wales Mark Bowen
CF 7England Mark Robins  15'
CF 9 England Chris Sutton
Substitutes:
GK 13Scotland Scott Howie
MF 12England Gary Megson
MF 14England Daryl Sutch  15'
MF 15England Darren Eadie
MF 16England Andy Johnson
Manager:
Wales Mike Walker

Assistant referees:
Sweden Mikael Hansson (Sweden)

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • Five named substitutes.
  • Maximum of three substitutions.

Match summary

Gunn's late saves helped preserve his side's lead.

A feeling that the German side was arrogantly expecting victory was picked up on and utilised by the Norwich team. Bryan Gunn recalls:

It was disappointing that the Bayern management didn't show us any respect, there was an air of arrogance about them. We used that as a stimulus.[24]

Some 12 minutes into the match Rob Newman's floated cross was headed away weakly by a back-pedalling Matthäus, towards the edge of the Bayern Munich penalty area. It fell straight into the path of Jeremy Goss. "I didn't have to adjust my stride, I just hit it on the volley with my right foot. It was as sweet as anything", said Goss.[16] The result was "a screaming 20-yard volley" into the top left hand corner of the net.[15]

After 15 minutes, a serious injury forced striker Mark Robins off. He was replaced by Daryl Sutch, but just three minutes later, Ian Crook knocked a free kick from the half way line towards the back post. Chris Sutton and Oliver Kreuzer jumped for the ball, which floated over their heads. Stealing in behind both of them, Mark Bowen met the ball with a stooping header, which flew past a stranded Raimond Aumann, giving Norwich a two-goal lead. A shocked John Motson commented, "And Norwich are two up. This is almost fantasy football!".[25][26]

In the 40th minute, Munich pressure told when a cross from Jorginho was converted by Christian Nerlinger. Nerlinger beat Spencer Prior to the ball and successfully steered his header inside Bryan Gunn's left hand post.

After the interval, most of the game was contested in the Norwich half, with Matthäus in particular proving to be instrumental in orchestrating many of the Bayern Munich attacks. After 70 minutes, Matthäus forced Gunn to save, low to his right with an effort that took a deflection. The subsequent corner ended with Jorginho curling a low cross into a crowded penalty area, where Adolfo Valencia's header from just six yards out was saved by Gunn. The resulting rebound from Kreuzer came to nothing as he fired over the crossbar.

Reaction and aftermath

When the final whistle blew, Walker gave his team hugs on the pitch, but warned them that they had "a tough game still to come at Carrow Road".[22] The British media were less guarded: "'Jerry sinks the Gerrys' was the inevitable headlined salute to Jerry Goss, Norwich's longest servant".[22]

Bayern Munich's defeat by Norwich was a shock result. Reflecting on the improbability of such a result, FourFourTwo wrote, "The news that Norwich had gone 2–0 up in the Olympic Stadium seemed frankly surreal".[27]

The match has thus achieved considerable notability in the history of Norwich City, described as "arguably their finest hour" by the BBC.[2] The Daily Telegraph called it "their finest performance",[28] while The Independent described it as "the pinnacle of Norwich City's history".[29] John Motson commented that the match marked "the rise of Norwich City from provincial respectability to European admiration. It was the refreshing impact of loyal, unsung players... that made City's continental capers so appealing".[30]

When analysing the reasons for the result, The Independent laid the blame for the Germans' defeat on their attitude — which was blatant:

They paid the price of underestimating the opposition while embarrassment for one official was total after saying on the eve of the game, and in Walker's hearing, that they wanted a trip to Tenerife in the third round.[22]

The return leg was played on 3 November 1993. Ade Akinbiyi made his début in this game,[31] in front of a crowd of 20,643.[32] Following an early goal by Adolfo Valencia that brought the aggregate score to 2–2,[3] Goss's second goal of the tie meant a 1–1 draw.[3] Norwich thus won the tie 3–2 on aggregate and qualified to face Internazionale in the third round.[33] Internazionale beat Norwich 2–0 on aggregate and went on to win the tournament.[33] Norwich went on to be relegated from the Premier League the following season,[7] and, to-date, Norwich have not qualified to play in European competition again.[7] In contrast, Munich won the German championship again that season,[34] and have subsequently won three UEFA competitions, including the Champions League in 2001 and 2013.[35]

In 2008, a poll, conducted by Norwich City recognised Goss's first leg goal as the greatest Norwich goal of all time,[36] "a goal that is remembered up and down the country by football fans". More than 3,000 fans voted in "Norwich City FC's Greatest Ever".[36]

The match was the only time a British side beat Bayern in a game played in the Olympiastadion.[2] Since moving to their new Allianz Arena, Bayern have suffered three further setbacks against English teams. They lost the final of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League against Chelsea on penalties after the game finished 1–1 after extra time. Then on 13 March 2013, Bayern lost 2–0 against Arsenal, also in the Champions League, although they progressed to the next round on the away goals rule.[37] Bayern also lost a dead rubber match to Manchester City in the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League group stage.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Neil Moxley's five best away displays in Europe". Daily Mail. London. 6 March 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 "Goss recalls Canaries' finest hour". BBC Sport. 18 April 2001. Retrieved 30 August 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 Haylett, Trevor (4 November 1993). "Goss gloss on Norwich glory". London: The Independent. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
  4. ↑ Haylett, Trevor (23 May 1999). "Bavarian Goss finish still shines brightly". The Independent. London. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
  5. ↑ "Norwich City | Club | History | History | CLUB HISTORY – 1986 to 1995". Canaries.premiumtv.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  6. ↑ "The record: England v Bayern Munich". BBC Sport. 19 May 1999.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Norwich City Football Club History Database
  8. ↑ "Norwich drop down to League One". BBC Sport. 3 May 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  9. ↑ "Sport in my World: Delia Smith", Oliver Brown, The Daily Telegraph, 15 September 2006
  10. ↑ "FC Bayern München". FIFA. Archived from the original on 14 December 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  11. ↑ "Championships including autumn championships–Bundesliga". www.bundesliga.com. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  12. 1 2 "Klubstatistik". FC Bayern. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  13. ↑ "Bayern hope for home comforts". uefa.com. 12 April 2005. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  14. ↑ John Sutton seeks glamour tie as Motherwell march on - The Scotsman
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Martin Samuel (20 February 2008). "Why armchair fans can no longer be turned on by tales of the unexpected". London: The Times. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  16. 1 2 "Into Europe. Munich: As good as it gets". Eastern Daily Press. Archived from the original on 21 March 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2007.
  17. ↑ "Lothar Matthaus". FIFA. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  18. ↑ Wright, Chris (1 December 2009). "Argentina and Barcelona player Lionel Messi wins Ballon d'Or". Fox Sports. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  19. ↑ "Matthaus up for a challenge". FIFA. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  20. ↑ Lothar Matthäus
  21. ↑ Haylett, Trevor (19 October 1993). "Football: Norwich refuse to adopt inferiority complex". The Independent. London. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Haylett, Trevor (21 October 1993). "Goss appreciates a moment of history: Trevor Haylett on the tactics that helped Norwich to a famous victory in Munich's Olympic Stadium". London: The Independent. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
  23. ↑ "Bayern München vs Norwich City". Worldfootball.net. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
  24. ↑ Struthers, Greg (August 3, 2008). "Caught in Time: Norwich grab Olympic win". London: The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 2009-01-08. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
  25. ↑ BBC match video
  26. ↑ "Sports Personality Q&A: Jake Humphrey". BBC News. 17 November 2008.
  27. ↑ The Games of our Lives, The 100 Greatest Matches Ever Played, FourFourTwo, written by Jim Drewitt and Alex Leith, February 1996
  28. ↑ "Canaries aim high in top flight", Duncan White, The Daily Telegraph, 8 August 2004
  29. ↑ "Football: Canaries show they are back on song", Steve Tongue, The Independent, 24 September 2002
  30. ↑ "Into Europe". Eastern Daily Press. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2007.
  31. ↑ "On the Spot: Ade Akinbiyi", Henry Winter, The Daily Telegraph, 2 November 2001
  32. ↑ Wild, Karlheinz (11 April 1993). "Valencia – Tor reicht Bayern nicht". Kicker (89). p. 7.
  33. 1 2 "UEFA Europa League". Uefa.com. 1 June 1994. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  34. ↑ (West) Germany – List of Champions RSSSF
  35. ↑ FC Bayern München UEFA
  36. 1 2 "Norwich City FC's Greatest Ever Unveiled". 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 28 April 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  37. ↑ Arsenal exit with heads high after shock defeat of Bayern in Munich, The Guardian, 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2013-06-15.

External links

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