After their agonizing home defeat on penalties to Chelsea in last year's Champions League final, Bayern Munich finally got their moment of glory at Wembley in London. The clash with Borussia Dortmund was the first all-German Champions League final ever played. More than 86,000 fans were crammed in for the sold-out final, with more than 300 million watching on televisions around the world.

Bayern's midfield dynamo Bastian Schweinsteiger picked up a knock 25 minutes before the game even began, colliding with team mate Mario Mandzukic in the warm-up. He was treated with an ice pack and could be seen holding his ankle long after the collision. Still, vice captain "Schweini" took to the field as planned - he warmed to the occasion after a slow start in the first half.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and German football association (DFB) President Wolfgang Niersbach were among the famous German faces on hand. Officially, at least, both were in a position to be neutral as Germany's best fought it out between themselves. Who knows if they harbored any secret alliances? Neither's likely to be crass enough to let it slip even if that's the case.

Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes said "the burden of being favorites" weighed heavy early in the game. For 20 minutes and more, Dortmund dominated proceedings - testing German national goalie Manuel Neuer on a number of occasions. Bayern's keeper held firm against Robert Lewandowski (shooting in this shot) and friends. It took more than 20 minutes for Bayern to finally put a shot on target.

Franck Ribery's temper got the better of him on 25 minutes. Trying to "liberate" himself from the close marking of Robert Lewandowski, Ribery swung an arm in the Bayern player's direction. Italian official Nicola Rizzoli erred on the side of caution, warning both players for their indiscretion but keeping his cards in his pocket. Ribery might have seen red on another day.

Rizzoli finally reached for a card around the half-hour mark, cautioning Dante for a clumsy foul on Marco Reus. With what was to come later, Dante could also count himself a little fortunate to see out all 90 minutes in a match with plenty of bite.

With almost 30 minutes played, Bayern's attacking machine roared into action. Mario Mandzukic tested Roman Weidenfeller from close range with his head. But Dortmund's non-international German keeper showed he's no slouch between the sticks either, getting his fingertips to the shot. The floodgates then opened, Weidenfeller twice denied Arjen Robben in one-on-one's before half time.

After a goalless first 45, Bayern came out on song in the second period. The Bavarians finally broke Dortmund down after 60 minutes. Ribery and Robben combined down the left, with Robben able to cut the ball across goal. Weidenfeller was out of position, Marcel Schmelzer couldn't reach the ball on the line for Dortmund, so Mario Mandzukic accepted the gift, tapping home from point-blank range.

Dante and Reus' next collision yielded a penalty for Dortmund. The Brazilian defender leapt in, missing the ball and striking Reus' pelvis instead. Ilkay Gündogan lined up the penalty and tied the score with 68 minutes on the clock. Manuel Neuer, who saved a Dortmund penalty in the Bundesliga when last the two sides met, dived the wrong way and couldn't deny the German international.

Neven Subotic provided the defensive highlight of the game minutes after the equalizer. Bayern broke away down the right through Thomas Müller. Weidenfeller committed himself, Müller passed across the gaping net, with Robben hovering at the far post. But Subotic slid across the goal to desperately prod the ball to safety and stop a certain goal. Having conceded, Bayern found another gear.

Arjen Robben had probably missed more chances than anyone in the course of the evening, sometimes cutting a nervous figure in front of goal. But he hit the one that mattered most. With 88 minutes played, Robben picked up a classy flick from Ribery and slid between three Dortmund defenders. The Dutchman made no mistake close in against Wedienfeller. Dortmund trailed 2-1, with just seconds to play.

Bayern's collective, unbridled joy celebrating Robben's goal showed what a weight the shot had lifted from the side's shoulders. The game, however, was not quite over - and as Brian Clough once said: "It only takes a second to score a goal." That said, Dortmund really did have just seconds to turn the tie again - a tall order after Bayern's dominant showing in the final 20 minutes.

Ref Rizzoli blew his whistle one last time and Bayern erupted with glee. The Munich club claimed the 2013 Champions League, Bayern's fifth overall in the competition, their first since 2001. The players hugged, match-winner Robben shed a few joyous tears, while coach Jupp Heynckes continued his remarkable career swansong. The first compliments for Heynckes hailed from Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp.

Bayern's proud cup holders could count on similar feelings in Bavaria. With their own special dialectic take on the German language, the Bavarian word for "Heim" (home) has a little of an English ring to it: it's written "hoam." Bayern players celebrated afterwards wearing t-shirts that played on the English football lyric: with "Football is coming hoam" replacing the famed original.