FT: Dortmund 0-1 Bayern
And that’s it! Amid all this upheaval and change, some things remain unchanged, even amid once-in-a-century pandemic.
Bayern win 1-0 thanks to Joshua Kimmich’s stunning goal to tighten their grip on an eighth-straight title, and are now seven points clear of Dortmund at the top.
Thanks a lot for following the game with us…it’s good to be back!
Bye!
Gotze, wide on the left, skews a wretched cross into Neuer’s arms. That’s a dreadful effort, and that might be that.
Dortmund hoik a ball into the box, but it’s over everyone’s head and it rolls harmlessly to Neuer.
The game’s almost up for them here.
Lewandowski is muscled over by Akanji in the box, and the referee waves play on. The referee trots over to tell off Hansi Flick for his complaints.
Hakimi finds space on the right wing, but he’s dispossessed by Perisic, and then Hummels’ attempt to find Gotze in the box ends up rolling out of play.
Time running out for Dortmund here…
Bayern make another change – Javi Martinez for Serge Gnabry.
Dortmund desperately need a goal, but it doesn’t look forthcoming…
Dortmund passing the ball about, trying to pick a hole in the Bayern defence. They’ve had no luck so far…
Lucas Hernandez is coming on for Bayern, replacing Boateng.
Axel Witsel is Dortmund’s fifth and final sub, replacing Dahoud.
Off the post!
Lewandowski drives forward and smacks a shot off the upright, and Dortmund survive.
This is all Dortmund now. Dahoud shoots from the edge of the box but Neuer does well to bat it away, with the ball twisting and swerving in the air.
Hakimi fizzes a cross across the box that Davies clears.
Meanwhile, four days after Mario Gotze has been told he will be leaving the club at the end of the season, he jogs on to try and rescue this game for Dortmund. He replaces Piszczek.
A huge miss by Hazard as he sidefoots the ball wide from six yards out from a Can cross, but replays bail him out, as they show he was offside.
This isn’t looking good for Dortmund now. They’ve lost Haaland to injury, Brandt is off too, and Marco Reus is injured. They need to get something out of this to keep the title race alive, but are running out of time…and bodies.
Reyna is fouled on the edge of the box by Davies, who is booked. Free-kick to Dortmund in a dangerous position…
If you recognise Gio Reyna’s name – he is the son of former Rangers, Sunderland and Man City player Claudio Reyna.
Bayern make a change – Coman is off for Ivan Perisic.
Better from Dortmund – Sancho scampers down the left and hoists a ball into the box for Haaland that narrowly evades him.
Some bad news follows that for Dortmund, though – Haaland has pulled up with an injury, and is off for Gio Reyna.
Can shoots from distance, but the shot is blocked. Dotmund have lots of possession, but really aren’t doing a whole lot with it.
Midway through the second half, and Dortmund need to find something. If this stays as is, they’ll slip seven points behind Bayern with six games to go.
And no Mo Dahoud gets a card – he overruns the ball and catches Kimmich in sliding in to recover it.
Sancho, however, is still miles off the pace. He loses the ball yet again, and Hakimi stops a Bayern counter by fouling Muller.
Dortmund force a corner, and they have been in the ascendancy since, eh, this blog slagged off their performance.
Woah – replays show Boateng clearly threw his arm toward the ball in deflecting it behind. That’s a pretty blatant penalty, it wasn’t even referred to VAR, and there was hardly any appeals from Dortmund.
Would that have been referred if there were fans in the stadium? You’d imagine there would have been an outcry about it from supporters…
Big chance Haaland!
Can finds Hazard on the left, who cuts the ball back for Haaland, who takes a touch and snaps a shot goalward that’s blocked behind by Boateng, who threw himself at the ball having slipped immediately before the shot was taken.
Dortmund haven’t started the second half yet. Can chips a ball over the top for Haaland…who dropped off to take the ball to feet.
Big save Burki!
Goretzka gets into the area and arrows a shot to the bottom corner, which Burki does well to push away. Bayern come again as Gnabry dances in along the touchline, but his pull-back is cut-out by Hummels.
Sancho gives the ball away – twice – to Lewandowski, and Hummels scuttles across to block the shot.
Sancho is still some way from the pace of this game.
Hakimi slides a ball into Haaland’s feet, but his touch is curiously bad and the ball runs away from him.
Dahoud picks the ball up in midfield, drives at the Bayern defence and then drives a shot from distance into Neuer’s chest.
Coman springs the offside trap but over-cooks the cross from the right, as Lewandowski started for goal.
Dortmund have made a double change: Julian Brandt and Thomas Delaney are off, with Jadon Sancho and Emre Can sprung from the bench.
Quick reminder – teams are allowed make five subs now.
HT: Dortmund 0-1 Bayern
Bayern lead at the break, thanks to an audacious Kimmich chip. It’s been a good game of very high tempo, although Dortmund have created few clear-cut chances.
Amid the frenzy, Kimmich kept his cool and, with that lob, has lofted Bayern into a seriously good position.
Dortmund need to win this game, so the second half promises plenty of action…join us again in a few minutes!
GOOALLL!!! Dortmund 0-1 Bayern (Kimmich)
Bayern have the lead with a glorious chip by Joshua Kimmich. Bayern spent the 90 seconds previous building pressure with Dortmund growing ever-more ragged.
The ball then breaks to Kimmich on the edge of the area, and he elects to float a chip over Burki that drops into the net.
Burki got a glove on it, but he can’t prevent it going in, and Bayern have the lead!
The corner flies over everyone, but Dortmund dither over their clearace. Bayern win the ball back, and the move ends with Goretzka firing a shot into the side-netting.
Goretzka hammers a volley goalward from distance that Burki does well to fist clear. Bayern win a corner.
Davies weaves his way into the penalty area until Hummels trots across to assert himself, muscling him off the ball. Davies appeals vainly for a penalty which is rightly not given.
Dortmund are finding space on the flanks, but the latest attack is wasted with a poor Brandt cross. He shanks it into the empty stand, much to Haaland’s exasperation.
Piszczek – again – makes a terrific last-ditch intervention to cut out a through-ball for Muller.
Haaland almost scarpers clear of the Bayern defence, but Davies appears from nowhere to dispossess him in the penalty area.
The corner is taken short and then hoisted to the back post to an unmarked Hummels, but his attempt to knock the ball down to Brandt by his side is thwarted by his team-mate’s not being prepared for it, and Bayern survive again.
Haaland and Hazard play a one-two, that ends with Haaland scuffing a shot that’s blocked away by Alaba.
Dortmund come again, however, and Hazard slides in a low cross that Alaba does well to clear for a corner.
Haaland tries an overhead kick from a Guerreiro cross but miscues, and the ball rolls out wide right for Hakimi, whose low cross is easily dealt with by Alaba. The ball is then crossed again from the left for Haaland, with Alaba doing superbly to get in Haaland’s way, and the ball rolls harmlessly away.
Lewandowski gallops on goal but is denied by a stunning slide tackle by Piszczek. Dortmund then break but can’t get a shot off – Brandt dallies and shifts the ball left, and then Guerreiro loses the ball.
Dortmund clear but again make a hames of the counter attack, with the final pass for Haaland instead going to Alaba’s feet.
Coman lashes a shot goalward that’s beaten away by Burki, and Bayern have their first corner.
The flow of the game has flipped entirely from the opening 15 minutes, with Bayern totally on top now and Dortmund trying to play on the break. They have plenty of options to hurt Bayern in that department, but they have fluffed a couple of transitions with errant final passes.
What a clearance off the line!
Bayern carve the Dortmund defence open, with Gnabry finding space in the six-yard box. His first touch is slightly too heavy but he gets his shot off nonetheless, and it’s heading into the net until Lukasz Piszczek pops up to back heel it off the line!
Bayern have settled into this game now, and are passing the ball about with much more authority. There’s an exceptionally high pace to the game.
Oooh – Kimmich floats a gorgeous ball into the box which narrowly misses the head of Muller, who ghosted into the box with a delightful diagonal run. Burki gathers.
Offside goal!
Dortmund are playing so well. Again they find space in behind the Bayern high line, with Hazard running clear. He pulls the ball back to Haaland, who takes a touch and then sees a shot blocked. The ball broke back to Hazard, who crossed to Guerreiro and nodded in from an offside position.
Dortmund are passing the ball about with authority here, and are dominant thus far.
Hakimi slides a pass behind the defence for Haaland, whose shot is deflected behind by Davies for the game’s first corner.
Lewandoski finds space in the box but Hummels matches him stride-for-stride and makes a crucial block. Good defending.
Brandt stings Neuer’s gloves! Gorgeous play by Dortmund as Delaney sweeps it left to Guerrero, who pulls the ball deftly back to Julian Brandt. His shot from 12 yards is right at the goalkeeper, who gathers at the second attempt.
Off the line!
What a start by Dortmund. Hazard is slipped through but Neuer comes running off his line to clear, but it’s hacked only as far as Haaland, who rolls a shot through the goalkeeper’s leg but Alphonso Davies stops the ball on the line. What a start!
The players are gathered in the centre circle for a moment’s silence in memory of those who have died from Covid-19.
Some still-jarring pre-game scenes…
A reminder of the state of play in the Bundesliga. With six rounds to go after this game, this is must-win territory for Dortmund.
This game is, of course, being staged under the strict conditions of social distancing.
Players and staff arrived at the game in a fleet of disinfected buses, so as to allow them to maintain social distancing on the journey to the stadium. All have to wear masks and stay around five feet from each other before kick-off, with the starting team changing at a different time to substitutes.
Footballs are disinfected, as will the dressing rooms after players leave for kick-off.
Players will be given individual water bottles to use during games and they are advised to shower at home after games.
10 members of the written press are allowed into this game, although players won’t be stopping to answer their questions in the mixed zone, and press conferences will be done over video conference.
Dortmund will be glad not to be playing this game in Munich, where they have a risible record of late: they’ve lost their last six games at the Allianz Arena, conceding 24 goals.
They have been denied their home support and the famous Yellow Wall for this game, however, and the trend since the lockdown is a dilution of home advantage: of the 18 games played since the end of the lockdown, there have been only three home wins.
Dortmund and Bayern are responsible for two of them.
Team News
Dortmund
Erling Haaland leads the line for Dortmund, with Jadon Sancho on the bench. Mats Hummels – taken off last weekend with an achilles problem – is fit to start against his old side.
🚨 Our Starting XI against FC Bayern 🚨 pic.twitter.com/zkcvZkU4Sw
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) May 26, 2020
Bayern Munich
Here’s the Bayern line-up: there’s no Thiago Alcantara, but there’s plenty of firepower elsewhere, including ex-Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski.
KLASSIKER XI 🔴#BVBFCB #packmas #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/gslIjBPRdL
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) May 26, 2020
NO, DON’T ADJUST your glasses or take a 30-mile spin to a local beauty spot, for what you see is true.
It’s a football liveblog here on The42!
It’s the first of these we’ve done in fully 76 days, but sport is beginning to stir again across Europe as everyone is now beginning to emerge blinking into the sun.
Germany are well ahead of the pack and have already completed two rounds of crowdless, socially-distant Bundesliga, which brings us to this evening, and the biggest remaining fixture of the season: Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich.
It’s a top-of-the-table clash, with Bayern four points clear at the top having played the same number of games. A win at the Westfalenstadion this evening will allow them take a further stride to an eighth-straight league crown.
Both sides have been pretty much note-perfect since the end of the lockdown, but something will give this evening.
Kick off is at 5.30pm, and you can follow it live here on The42.
Get in touch with us by commenting below the line, emailing gavincooney@the42.ie or tweeting @gcooney93.
Team news follows next…
Awful game. But a win is a win. Congrats Leinster.
@Gareth Keenan: Jesus it was
@Gareth Keenan: Barnes loved blowing that whistle in fairness. Took all the momentum and entertainment out of the game
@Rudiger McMonihan: yes couldn’t agree more, was at his finicky best.
@Rudiger sure its all.about Wayne, righr
Great culture of winning developing in Irish rugby, great going forward well done Leinster.
Great game, fair play to Leinster (from a Munster man), brilliant achievement to match Toulouse now at the top of the table with wins … But what was Teddy Thomas at there with 3 minutes to go?!
@CB: serious brain fart
James Ryan is bordering on a freak. Still unbeaten as a professional but no coïncidence. He makes yards he has no right to, pushes players back when it looks like he’s going to suffer in the tackle, an absolute monster of a player. One could say the same things about Leavy.
A pivotal moment was him stealing the ball from D Ryan in the lineout in the second half, a great moment for Irish rugby. Despite the fact D Ryan was never a lynchpin starter for Ireland, it was still a case of out with the old in with the new.
@Andrew Hurley: D Ryan is a bit like Cullen. Good enough for Ireland but not enough caps to reflect his brilliance due to strong competition in his position. That J Ryan steal on D Ryan was a pretty momentous part of the game.
@Old Gordon: No offence to Cullen but Ryan has the potential to be twice the player Cullen was. Cullen was a solid pro but lacked the something special that makes a great international. Ryan has that and lots more.
@Eddie Hekenui: he is talking about Donnacha Ryan not james
@William Finnegan: Ah sorry my bad. Too many Ryans.
Tell Adidas it’s Stars and Stripes for next season
I sort of feel like I’ve just run a marathon in Dubai after a three day session. I’m relieved, but was it worth it? And jaysus… I’m on a bloody couch. In all seriousness, that man Necewa deserves nothing less. Utmost respect for him.
What a battle. Congrats Leinster, savage stuff !
You sometimes forget how lucky you are to support a club like Leinster. An honour. YESSSSSSSS!! CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE!! #4Stars
@Callum: I was just thinking that as great as it is when Ireland win the feeling you get when the club you support win is just a completely different feeling of pride.
@Sam Harms: It’s special! And to do it with a homegrown squad. Unbelievable.
@Callum: it makes the frozen toes and being drowned by the rain all worth it haha
@Callum: get a grip!
****
To have been involved in all 4 finals speaks volumes of the man!
No better way to send Isa off into his retirement. Hopefully they win next week too for his last game in the RDS
A cautionary tale for anyone thinking it would be a walk in the park. Too close for comfort. Well done Leinster!
Exceptional match report in a very short space of time! Well done Leinster from a Munster man
Boring game but well done
@Marcodub: champions for the 4th time.. unreal.. legends
Not sure whether Leinster won it or managed not to lose it. Racing matched them at their own game very well.
Didn’t mind Barnes today but more generally, does anyone get penalises for going off feet at the ruck anymore?
Also, James Ryan’s run continues…
@Simon Clarke: Barnes didn’t give what was the most obvious yellow of the season to Nakawara just before HT. I watched the game on French TV and to a man they couldn’t believe it wasn’t yellow.
@Andrew Hurley: That was the howler. Only other one for me was a disparity in how much advantage was played at times.
@Simon Clarke: The rule change that I think would most benefit rugby is the time a ball can be kept in a ruck. To change it, perhaps this backleg thing needs changing as players coming in to “lengthen” the ruck is a nonsense. There were some 15 second rucks which destroy the flow of a game.
Congratulations Leinster. A tough old game but they came out on top.
@Jim Demps: A 3 point ‘massacre’ eh Jim?
@Oval Digest: glad to see your first post on it was to me. Enjoy the win. I was right with the prediction. Wrong about by how much.
@Jim Demps: No second Jim! You were indeed, good to get the win though! ****
@Jim Demps: please refrain from the crystal ball reading there Jim, racing were never that inept.
Welk done Leinster. Well deserved. Wish ye didnt win for obvious reasons. But it was yers to lose.
@Gavin Mitchell: What obvious reasons lol?
@Callum: Look at the jersey I am wearing…..
@Gavin Mitchell: Ah, so you supported a French team over an Irish province. Please don’t admit that in public bud..
@Callum: And why cant I?
Leinster are Munsters biggest rivals. Why follow them?
@Gavin Mitchell: fairly bitter fan in football and rugby. I’d be delighted if Munster won.
@Gavin Mitchell: Because most of those lads won you a grand slam this year. Petty…..but hardly surprising.
@Gavin Mitchell: I refuse to believe you were up for a bunch of French blokes over Irishmen..
@Yorkie1892: And did I make any indication I wanted Racing to win? I was a neutral. Wouldnt have mattered to me who won
Jesus lads just enjoy the win. There’s plenty of time next week for the provincial nonsense
@Callum: Callum as great as it was for Irish Rugby and the Pro14 I cannot ever bring myself to supporting Munsters biggest rivals.
@Eddie Hekenui: Its what we do Eddie. Throw some accusations at one another. Just so that someone comes out like a fool.
@Gavin Mitchell: your first comment was, wish you didnt win for obvious reasons. Just own it bud, you wanted Racing to win. No shame in that
@William Finnegan: Not quite how Callum saw it lol.
But as I said well done to them. I dont ever want them to win anything but if tgey do I cant complain because they earn it. Thats all.
@Martin Quinn: yes i do Martin. Its fantastic for both Irish Rugby and the Pro14. Thats the only reason Id be OK with them winning.
But jn terms of succes achieved from a provincial perspective that is different. How would you feel knowing your no.1 team is second best to the one thats just across the country? Youd hate it of course.
@Gavin Mitchell: genuinely dont understand that thinking. Worst thing about Irish rugby is the Munster v Leinster “banter”.
@Gavin Mitchell: maybe because they are Irish??? The rest of us would support munster if they were in the final against a “foreign” team. Fair enough you are a munster supporter but quite obviously not an Irish rugby supporter.
@Gavin Mitchell: I support any team from this island, against any team from elsewhere, in any sport. As a Leinster man, I Will go to the pro 14 final, to support Munster, if they beat Leinster next week.
Freedom of Dublin for Nacewa. Strike that, freedom of the island for him.
@Gavin Mitchell: get over it fool
Jesus lads he can support anyone he likes. Get over it.
@Eddie Hekenui: Eddie I am an anomaly in this version of the Matrix. Theyre all Agents hardwired to this system and are trying to eliminate me. But they aint getting rid of me that easy XD.
@Gavin Mitchell: I support Munster and I always want an Irish team to win
I have great pride in our two and supported Leinster in their four wins
Most real fans do but people come here to wind people up
@Gavin Mitchell: well then you’re just simply bitter and twisted. I get the provincial rivalry and indulge in it myself …….when relevant. But in a situation such as this it’s Ireland first. I’m a die hard Leinster fan but had Munster been playing Racing slid have been supporting Munster
@Eddie Hekenui: no Eddie. It’s simply fundementally wrong not to support an Irish team in these circumstances.
Time and again you’ve been banging on about the primacy of the national interest etc for example the Carbery/Ulster question. Here’s a situation where a guy simply declines to support an Irish team in a European final based solely on a parochial bias. Pathetic
@Tom O’Gorman: My “banging on” about players/coaches doing the best thing in the interest of the national team is totally different to a lad not supporting a rival province. That’s a bizarre comparison to make. Gavin not cheering for Leinster has no impact on the players or the Irish team. You can’t force anyone to support a team if they don’t want to.
@Gavin Mitchell: Sad. Most Irish rugby fans would support an Irish province regardless of whether their own team is in the final. You describe yourself in your twitter bio as a Man Utd fan. So I doubt rugby is a sport you even understand. Maybe take a lesson from the genuine Munster fans. Who have been excellent this week. Cos we’ll be standing standing shoulder to shoulder with each other, all four provinces, in 2019 in Japan
@Matt: If you think I’m not a genuine Munster fan that’s too bad really. Considering you do not know me in any way.
Have you not noticed at all in any way I COMPLIMENTED Leinster in my original post?
@Gavin Mitchell: finally someone who agrees that there needs to be more of a football like rivalry
Unreal, fair play boys
What a tense game going right down to the last kick. Monumental effort from the Leinster pack in particular. Is there a level that James Ryan has not stepped up yet and thrived. The guy is incredible. Great game from Fardy too. Fantastic to see Nacewa be the guy to seal the win. Guy has been such a servant to Irish rugby. That said shocking stuff from Teddy Thomas to throw the game away. All he had to do was carry straight into contact and they’d have cleared the ball down the pitch. The young guy at 9 for Racing really stepped up to point that Machenaud was hardly missed but they could’ve done with Carter for that drop goal attempt
As a sports lover and GAA my first love ..I admire Leinster ..with their limited money and shallow pool of players compared to France and England .. they are the best in Europe for the fourth time …. this is some sporting achievement up there with Italian 90 and Leicester winning the premiership … amazing
No point in Munster turning up.. Leinster are unbeatable..
@Dead Ball Browne: ok there, now move along folks… No feeding the trolls.
@Stephen Rogan: ah leave him there is no soccer for him to cheer on today. It will be epic next week
Heart goes out to Racing in such a tight battle that never really got going. Bollix is hard to measure both from some clowns talking up Leinster and writing off Racing all week and the sets on show today by both squads.
@Scott Crossfield: You are obviously fluent in some other language than English. Is it fluent Bitter you speak? I no understand.
@Camroc: mainly to sum up, you can never measure a teams heart as shown by Racing today with all the odds against them and injuries. And still a bounce or kick of a ball separated them against us.
I’d imagine some of those Racing players and staff would like to kill Teddy Tomas. If I was a Racing fan I’d never forgive him.
@Les Wynan: Then you wouldn’t be much of a fan would you.
@Les Wynan: in the words of the Bayern team to their goalkeeper after the Champions League semi “You win together, you lose together”
Credit to Leinster. Fantastic team and a very well deserved result
I thought it was Munster who grinded out the wins
I would not say a classic but a win is win Racing threw it away and Leinster dug in and got a win on stats they were stronger but Racing made some serious errors in end and also lost 3 star players If all were available Leinster would have seriously struggled congrats Leinster 4 stars now great achievement
@Sportmad: You could argue we were missing O’Brien, Lowe and a fully match fit Ruddock.
@Eamonn Dunne: very true but only two changes made to line up as I said bad game but Leinster stuck at it and got the win..
Phew
#4Stars
Not the ‘massacre’ or ’20 point win’ that some strangely predicted all week, but by god we’ll take that! Four star generals!
Congrats to Leinster, but it should be know that they were extremely lucky being behind most of the game, and this media hype of them and Irish rugby in general is seriously over f@@king rated!!!
@Peter Mc: Best International team in Europe and 2nd best in the world and the best club side in Europe who are right up there with the best in the world. Not sure how you can consider them over rated?
@Peter Mc: ★★★★
@Peter Mc: in dry weather we win by 10-15 points. Guarantee you
@Fred McHugh: don’t know about that, their defence was unreal. But feck it who cares how we win, we well deserved to win it with the performances we put in over the season
@Fred McHugh: And if they Carter, Machenaud and Lambie who knows. No place for ifs and buts in sport. You play what’s in front of you and Leinster did that today and thankfully came out on top. They won’t care one bit whether it was 1 point or 15. If anything a win in that manner would make it all the sweeter
@Eddie Hekenui: And if we had SOB, Lowe and Ruddock who knows how much more we could have won by.
@Peter Mc: played poorly for long periods against a team playing out of their skins and still won. Terrible stuff alright.
@Peter Mc: Wouldn’t say lucky, just did what champion teams do, grind it out when things are not going exactly to plan. Stay calm and take the chances when they come. Look at Ireland v France this year.
@Peter Mc: being behind and winning is the sign of a great team. Sometimes you don’t win pretty. Not sure what planet your on if you say Leinster are overrated.
ERC Winners again 4th time – joint highest
Pro14 semi final & won it more times than any other Irish team
B&I Cup Runners up – highest no of wins of B&I cup of any other team
@Gary: I’m not knocking Leinster. Just saying there’s no place for ifs and buts. There are a million different ways things could’ve played out. The only one that matters is the way things did play out. Leinster won and that’s all that matters.
@Frank Reilly: sorry for you
Hope Johnny plays as well against Munster
@James O Lone: I hope he he plays like that next week from a Munster point of view, he was poor today
@Peter Mc: I no that was an attempt at sarcasm he was brutal
@James O Lone: good thing about Johnny is that when he has a bad game he’s fierce fired up the following week.
@Sam Harms: he’d want to it shortly haven’t seen much of it lately does he even know the pro14 exists
@James O Lone: Probably not. But it’s only Munster so he can probably just coast through it.
no pints boys! Munster next week!
@Fred McHugh: saw a video of James Lowe in the dressing room in his boxers when he wasn’t even playing, I think the no pints ship has sailed!
Fuming down in Munster
@Aidan: Why would you say that ? do you even go to Rugby games if so you would not say that plastic supporter I’m sure..
@Sportmad: 10 years last time Munster won European trophy it’s fecking embarrassing
@Aidan: classic reply from a non fan of rugby band wagon comes to mind if as I said earlier you go to these games that would not be a comment you would post.
If you saw my post as a Munster fan that goes to games and is a supporter member which I doubt you are 10 years is a number that is hard to fathom and seeing it’s 5 for Leinster 4 finals four wins but ye are not the first to have 4 wins even Lecister have been runner up 2 if not 3 times in final Toulouse 4 wins too.. if you can talk about embarrassment like that then I am sure you never even went to a game.. What’s embarrassing about this thread are your views I’d say a man Utd fan too..
Congratulations to Leinster. Well deserved Champions
Legend
I got the feeling from the start that Leinster were just trying to keep the scoreboard ticking over and stay in touch with Racing until the last 15 or 20 minutes when the French traditionally tire out and then Leinster would expect to carve them up and score tries…but it didnt happen that way at all and fair play to Racing to keep up the tackling for the full 80. Johnny didnt go for gilt edge chances to go for a 5 metre line out and a push over try off the back of penalties instead he kicked the 3 points and that quick tap to nothing…they were probably afraid of the Racing defensive lineout too much there too. But a great game…not vintage rugby but as tense as they come. Teddy Tomas and his Im a superstar brain fart cost them the game though, he hero against Munster…the fool today.
Fuming down in Munster
A tough and successful lesson for this group on how to grind out the result in the trenches.
What a f*****g legend.
Rob that mans passport. Hes NEVER leaving us….
Didn’t see it. I don’t have that station on my television. Sounds like it was a great match.
Well done Leinster. Well deserved. Unbeaten and you knew how to win a tight game.
How was giving out the medals that Sexton hugged?
Lets double up on the eurovision
James Ryan is a freak of nature
@Ben Williams: and not a sight of a neck on him!! In words of Sid Waddell “Jocky Wilson “what an athlete”!
Win 4 the Hippos…4 times,munster 3….Ireland top of the rugby “world”…. Giant global stuff..what a f*****g laff!!.Tournament of 4 countries out of 202….must be 12 yrs old this comp!!
@rufustfirefly: is there an adult there we can talk to?
@Martin Quinn: ur right,know f all about rugger,but a lot about merchants who support it! U are familiar with the term “merchants” I take it