German knockout ties in Europe
German teams have had to battle it out on the European stage several times. Such matches may not have not been classics, but others had the political tension between East and West Germany added to it.
The All-German Champions League final
It doesn't get much better than this: two German clubs battle in London's Wembley Stadium for the biggest crown in club football. The final between Jürgen Klopp's Dortmund and Jupp Heynckes' Bayern was close. Just before full-time, Arjen Robben delivered the winning goal for a 2-1 Bayern win. The Bavarians won the German Cup a week later to complete their European treble.
Germany's UEFA Cup
Another all-German final came about in the 1980 UEFA Cup. Eintracht Frankfurt beat defending champions Borussia Mönchengladbach over two legs to lift their first title in the competition. In fact, all four of the semifinalists that season were German too: Frankfurt proved the best out Bayern, Gladbach and Stuttgart for the crown.
A tense affair between Bayern and Dynamo Dresden
The first East vs. West battle in 1973, after the construction of the wall, was volatile due to political tension. The state secret service sent 1000 members of the Socialist Unity Party for the first leg in West Germany. Bayern refused to stay in Dresden before the 2nd leg, fearful of being poisoned by the secret police. Bayern won 7-6 on aggregate to reach the third round of the European Cup.
No chance for Schalke
East-West ties in European competition was always something special. So was the case in 1977 when Schalke met Magdeburg in the UEFA Cup. The Royal Blues did not fair well though, losing 4-2 in Magdeburg thanks to a hat trick from Jürgen Sparwassers. Magdeburg won the second leg too by a score of 3-1 to advance to the third round.
The wonder of Grotenburg
Few matches have stuck in the memories of German football fans like the 7-3 win for Bayer Uerdingen against Dynamo Dresden in the 1986 quarterfinals of the European Cup Winners' Cup. Uedingen lost the first leg 2-0 and were behind 3-1 at halftime of the second leg, but Friedhelm Funkel (right) and company scored six times to take the tie.
One goal does the trick
Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen were paired together in the semifinal of the 1987-88 UEFA Cup, and they certainly tested the patience of the attending fans. The only goal in the two legs came from Alois Reinhardt, who scored at the hour mark in the first leg. Bremen wrapped up the title a few weeks later while Leverkusen went on to win the final over Spanish club Espanyol.
Bremen complete a comeback in the Weserstadion
Bremen faced Dynamo Berlin in the first round of the 1988-89 European Cup. This time, Bremen were able to complete a comeback. They lost 3-0 in the first leg in Berlin, Kalle Riedle (left) gave Bremen a 3-0 lead at the hour mark of the second leg before they went on to win 5-0.
Battle of giants
The Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund squads in 1998 were filled with stars. Oliver Kahn, Lothar Matthäus and Mehmet Scholl on one side, Jürgen Kohler, Andreas Möller and Julio Cesar on the other. But the two strong German sides did not deliver much in the Champions League quarterfinals. The only goal scored was from Dortmund's Stephane Chapuisat in the 109th minute in the second leg.
Difference in class
A year after Dortmund eliminated Bayern in the Champions League, Bayern met surprise German champions Kaiserslautern in the quarterfinals of the competition. The Bavarians pushed Kaiserslautern to their limit, eliminating them with 2-0 and 4.0 results. Bayern reached the final and had one hand on the trophy before Manchester United scored twice in second-half stoppage time to win 2-1.
Not quite enough
Hamburg fought and won, but it still wasn't enough in the end. Leverkusen qualified for the quarterfinals of the 2007-08 UEFA Cup thanks to an away goal. Former Hamburg icon and fan favorite Sergej Barbarez was responsible for Hamburg's heartbreak, scoring the decisive away goal for Leverkusen in the second leg. Hamburg still won 3-2, but it wasn't enough after a 1-0 loss in Leverkusen.
Northern derby on the European stage
Fun fact: between April 22 and May 10, 2009, Werder Bremen played four times in a row - in the German Cup semifinals, the UEFA Cup semifinals and in the Bundesliga. Bremen was the victor in all three competitions. Torsten Frings (left) and company lost the first leg of their UEFA Cup semifinal 1-0, but fate carried them through in the second leg as they advanced to the final.
The cursed ball
Rather in the form of a paper ball, which was thrown out of the Hamburg fan section. It landed close the corner flag near the Hamburg bench. Soon after, Hamburg defender Michael Gravgaard wanted to pass the football back to his goalkeeper, but the paper ball redirected it out for a corner. Bremen's Frank Baumann headed in the goal to make it 3-1, and Hamburg was later eliminated with a 3-2 result.