The 2012-2013 UEFA Champions League is set up to end on a magnificent note this weekend when the top teams in the league meet for a historic final.
For this first time in the great history of the league, two teams from Germany will play for a title as Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich rolled through the postseason to advance to the season finale.
When and Where to Watch the Final
The Champions League season culminates with a loaded final on Saturday, May 25th from London's Wembley Stadium. The match between the German powers is set to begin at 2:45pm, EDT with coverage available through the FOX television network, Fox Deportes and on-line at www.foxsoccer2go.com.
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Team Breakdown - Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund enters the 2013 final feeling great about the state of their game. Eliminating the always-powerful Real Madrid club in the semifinals on the strength of a 4-3 goal aggregate, Dortmund is fully capable of winning their first Champions League crown since defeating Juventus in the 1997 final.
Robert Lewandowski paces a Dortmund offense that certainly has the capability to put up multiple strikes, but in this year's final, the defensive unit of the club may prove to be more valuable as their opponents possess the ability to light up the scoreboard.
In the first leg of their semi series against Madrid, Lewandowski scored an unprecedented 4 goals in a 4-1 thrashing of the nine-time champions. Goals at the 8, 50, 55 and 66-minute marks paced Dortmund to one of their finest performances this season.
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Not to be forgotten however was the performance of the German defense, a unit that allowed only 1 goal in the opening leg while receiving a strong performance from 32-year-old keeper Roman Weidenfeller.
Holding off a serious charge in the second leg - a game they'd ultimately lose 2-0 - Dortmund, Lewandowski and Weidenfeller did enough in the opening match as they'd move onto the 2013 final by way of the aforementioned goal aggregate.
The challenge to become the champs now takes a step up in difficulty as Dortmund prepares for country rival Bayern Munich.
Team Breakdown - Bayern Munich
While Dortmund enters the final match with much to look forward to, Bayern Munich may be playing their best soccer of the season.
Completely dismantling Barcelona in both legs of their semifinal series, Munich poses a serious threat to their German opponents because they're capable of dominating both sides of the ball at any given time.
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Since beginning the 2013 UEFA Champions League tournament, the Munich defense has allowed only one goal in a total of 6 matches. The lone goal surrendered came in their Round of 16 win over Arsenal.
Eliminating Juventus by a 4-0 total in the quarterfinals, Munich was expected to get their strongest test from European power Barcelona. Instead, the Germans controlled every facet of the semifinal series, shutting out the four-time and 2011 champions.
Thomas Muller provided Munich with two goals in a 4-0 opening leg victory and then followed up his performance with another goal in the second leg, pacing Munich to a 3-0 victory. Additional goals throughout the contests from Gerard Pique, Arjen Robben (2 goals) and Mario Gomez propelled Munich to a very impressive 7-0 aggregate win.
Champions League Final Wrap-Up
Bayern Munich will head into Saturday's final as a significant favorite but that doesn't mean Dortmund will lay down for their country rival.
In what continues to develop into a highly anticipated final, be sure to watch Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich play for the 2012-2013 UEFA Champions League title.
The match is scheduled to start at 2:45pm, EDT on Saturday, May 24th. Coverage will be provided by the FOX Television network, FOX Deportes and an on-line live stream of the game can be found here.
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