The Gargantuan Chelsea hero, Didier Drogba shattered Bayern Munich's Champions League dream with victory in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out in Munich. Drogba stepped up to rifle home the winning penalty for Chelsea after saving his side with an equalizing goal two minutes from time to cancel out what seemed like a winner from Thomas Mueller as the match came to 1-1 .

It was an agonizing defeat for Bayern, with their midfield Bastian Schweinsteiger missing their final kick to opportune Drogba score the penalty to clinch the shoot-out 4-3. Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech also saved brilliantly from Ivica Ovic to get Chelsea back into the shoot-out after Juan Mata had missed the English Premier League side's opening effort. Drogba's winning spot-kick was a fairytale ending for the 34-year-old Ivorian gargantuan striker, who had been sent off in the final minutes of Chelsea's Champions League final defeat in Moscow four years ago. But the loss left Bayern shattered as their dream of lifting their fifth European title before their own fans at their home ground ended in agony.

A match which the Bayern had dominated went to penalties after a frenetic finish to normal time, with Mueller heading Bayern into the lead seven minutes from time only for Drogba to equalize for Chelsea in the 88th minute. A dramatic start to extra-time then featured Bayern's former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben missing a penalty saved by Cech after the soccer master Drogba had needlessly brought down Franck Ribery in the area, which looked like the luckiest victory for Bayern. They suffered an early setback when Schweinsteiger was booked for a nervy handball after only two minutes, but thereafter they enjoyed a virtual monopoly of possession. Schweinsteiger was the first to set alarms off in the Chelsea back four, having his shot deflected behind by Gary Cahill after only three minutes.

Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo had sprung a surprise by handing a first Champions League start to youngster Ryan Bertrand in an effort to cut off the supply lines to Robben down the right flank. However the wily Dutchman found space with ease in the eighth minute, cutting in from the flank and curling a shot over the bar.

The former Chelsea winger produced the best chance of the half on 21 minutes when he shot low and hard, but Cech stuck out a leg and the ball cannoned to safety. Bayern's pressure should have earned a reward but Mario Gomez squandered two promising openings shortly before halftime, slicing from close range on 39 minutes and then blazing over from just inside the area after losing Cahill.

The second half followed largely the same pattern as the first, with Bayern having a goal disallowed for offside by Ribery on 54 minutes. It looked all over for Chelsea when Mueller headed in to put Bayern 1-0 seven minutes from time. But game master Drogba had other ideas. However Chelsea looked to have squandered parity in the fourth minute of extra-time, when Drogba needlessly clipped Ribery to concede the softest of penalties from referee Pedro Proenca. Cech dived low to his left to thwart Robben's spot-kick with his legs as the tension rose to high levels. Substitute Olic almost won it for Bayern in the 108th minute, but his shot flashed across goal as the game went to penalties. The black-out for FC Bayern came when the GAME-MASTER Drogba kicked in to kick away the Bavarians with his 4:3 shoot-out. IT'S OUT FOR FC BAYERN.

FRANCIS TAWIAH (Duisburg -Germany)