Juventus host Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League tonight (20:45 CET). The fixture has a rich European pedigree – the sides have been part of some incredible clashes previously. Udo Muras tracks the game’s recent history for DFB.de.
1993: Möller’s dramatic return
It all started with a final. The first-leg of the 1993 UEFA Cup Final took place at the Westfalenstadion. Juventus included former BVB star Andreas Möller in their team as well as future Dortmund players Jürgen Kohler and Julio Cesar. 37,000 packed into the stadium for the game and the majority were celebrating early on when Michael Rummenigge fired home after two minutes.
The game soon turned sour for BVB though: A quickfire double turned the game on its head. Dino Baggio levelled (27’) and Roberto Baggio fired Juventus in front three minutes later. The latter completed his brace after 74 minutes, meaning the first leg ended 3-1 to the Italian side. “Juve were the best side that Dortmund faced in the competition,” said Kicker.
1993: Juve lift the title
Ahead of the return leg Juventus manager Giovanni Trapattoni warned: “We may have won the first leg 3-1 but the job isn’t over yet.” He didn’t need to worry: After five minutes Dino Baggio scored. The same player made it 2-0 shortly before the break and Möller completed the scoring after 63 minutes. 63,000 supporters witnessed Juve lift the cup.
After the final Ottmar Hitzfeld said: “We believed in ourselves until the end but it wasn’t to be.” At the post-match banquet Gerd Niebaum praised the team for their “fantastic” performances in the competition. 30,000 supporters watching on at Friedensplatz in the city were more than happy with their team’s performance in the competition.
1995: Juve come out on top in UEFA Cup again
1995 was a busy year for the sides – they played four times in two competitions. In April the sides were drawn together to play in the UEFA Cup semi-finals, offering BVB the chance to avenge their defeat in the 1993 final. The first leg ended 2-2 in Italy. Reuther but the German side ahead before Roberto Baggio equalised. Möller fired Dortmund in front once again but a late goal from Kohler saw the first leg finish level.
Juventus prevailed once again in Germany: Porrini opened the scoring after seven minutes; however, Julio Cesar’s free kick levelled the scores with 10 minutes played. Roberto Baggio’s winner also came from a free kick, this time in the 31st minute. A reporter from Dortmund told Juventus head coach Marcello Lippi that BVB would have matured by the time the next meeting came about.
1995: Victory and defeat in Champions League
The teams only had to wait five months before they met again, this time in the Champions League. Like in 1993, BVB took the lead in the home game, through Möller. However, Juventus came out on top thanks to goals from Padovano (11’), Del Piero and Conte (68’). The game was played in front of 35,800 at the Westfalenstadion.
The sides met in Italy in November. Juventus had qualified for the latter stages already but Dortmund were yet to confirm their spot. Goals from Michael Zorc (30’) and Lars Ricken (65’) put the German side in front – Alessandro Del Piero’s 90th minute free kick was nothing more than a consolation goal- Dortmund midfielder Steffe Freund was delighted: “We’ve progressed, it’s sensational.”
Champions League final 1997: Riedle scores a brace
The two rivals met in the Champions League final on 28th May 1997 at Munich’s Olympic Stadium. Those that had survived from the final in May 1993 for Borussia were Stefan Klos, Stefan Reuter, Stephane Chapuisat and Michael Zorc, as well as manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, whilst goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi was the only Juve player to play in both games. Andreas Möller and Jürgen Kohler had switched allegiances and once again ended up on the winning side.
Borussia took the lead once again after Karl-Heinz Riedle had one of the best moments in his career and fired two goals past Juve in the space of five minutes (29’, 34’), with the second being a header from a Möller corner. Juventus, who had French World Champions Didier Deschamps and Zinedine Zidane playing for them, hit the post in the 42nd minute through Zidane. Goalkeeper Klos then tipped Christian Vieri’s shot onto the bar after 56 minutes. Alessandro del Piero’s wonderful back-heel from Alen Boksic’s cross in the 64th minute pulled one back for the Italians.
1997: “Super sub” Ricken becomes an immortal
Ottmar Hitzfeld replaced both strikers, firstly bringing on Heiko Herrlich and then Lars Ricken. But Herrlich wasn’t the one being talked about afterwards; instead it was 20-year-old Ricken who stole the show- with his only shot. He became an immortal in 14 seconds- Lars Ricken was the epitome of a super sub. Möller provided the assist and he chipped the ball over the keeper into the back of the net with his first touch. “It’s unbelievable that you can be so good at that age,” said his amazed manager Ottmar Hitzfeld and the rest of the footballing world. Ricken: “I noticed from the bench that Peruzzi was always quite far out of his goal. I didn’t think I could do it but finally I managed to. I could only dream about scoring a goal like that.”
And he wasn’t the only one dreaming. “Here comes Lars Ricken, the man who’ll score the winner- he’ll make it 3-1, or we hope so in any case,” were the words of radio commentator Manfred Breuckmann (WDR) as he came on.
The majority of the 58,000 spectators at the Olympic Stadium and millions on television were celebrating. The Ruhr region was the place to be, after Schalke 04 had also won the UEFA Cup the week before. The last chapter with Juventus was without doubt the best for Borussia Dortmund. And now there’s time for another to be written after 18 years.
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Juventus host Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League tonight (20:45 CET). The fixture has a rich European pedigree – the sides have been part of some incredible clashes previously. Udo Muras tracks the game’s recent history for DFB.de.
1993: Möller’s dramatic return
It all started with a final. The first-leg of the 1993 UEFA Cup Final took place at the Westfalenstadion. Juventus included former BVB star Andreas Möller in their team as well as future Dortmund players Jürgen Kohler and Julio Cesar. 37,000 packed into the stadium for the game and the majority were celebrating early on when Michael Rummenigge fired home after two minutes.
The game soon turned sour for BVB though: A quickfire double turned the game on its head. Dino Baggio levelled (27’) and Roberto Baggio fired Juventus in front three minutes later. The latter completed his brace after 74 minutes, meaning the first leg ended 3-1 to the Italian side. “Juve were the best side that Dortmund faced in the competition,” said Kicker.
1993: Juve lift the title
Ahead of the return leg Juventus manager Giovanni Trapattoni warned: “We may have won the first leg 3-1 but the job isn’t over yet.” He didn’t need to worry: After five minutes Dino Baggio scored. The same player made it 2-0 shortly before the break and Möller completed the scoring after 63 minutes. 63,000 supporters witnessed Juve lift the cup.
After the final Ottmar Hitzfeld said: “We believed in ourselves until the end but it wasn’t to be.” At the post-match banquet Gerd Niebaum praised the team for their “fantastic” performances in the competition. 30,000 supporters watching on at Friedensplatz in the city were more than happy with their team’s performance in the competition.
1995: Juve come out on top in UEFA Cup again
1995 was a busy year for the sides – they played four times in two competitions. In April the sides were drawn together to play in the UEFA Cup semi-finals, offering BVB the chance to avenge their defeat in the 1993 final. The first leg ended 2-2 in Italy. Reuther but the German side ahead before Roberto Baggio equalised. Möller fired Dortmund in front once again but a late goal from Kohler saw the first leg finish level.
Juventus prevailed once again in Germany: Porrini opened the scoring after seven minutes; however, Julio Cesar’s free kick levelled the scores with 10 minutes played. Roberto Baggio’s winner also came from a free kick, this time in the 31st minute. A reporter from Dortmund told Juventus head coach Marcello Lippi that BVB would have matured by the time the next meeting came about.
1995: Victory and defeat in Champions League
The teams only had to wait five months before they met again, this time in the Champions League. Like in 1993, BVB took the lead in the home game, through Möller. However, Juventus came out on top thanks to goals from Padovano (11’), Del Piero and Conte (68’). The game was played in front of 35,800 at the Westfalenstadion.
The sides met in Italy in November. Juventus had qualified for the latter stages already but Dortmund were yet to confirm their spot. Goals from Michael Zorc (30’) and Lars Ricken (65’) put the German side in front – Alessandro Del Piero’s 90th minute free kick was nothing more than a consolation goal- Dortmund midfielder Steffe Freund was delighted: “We’ve progressed, it’s sensational.”
Champions League final 1997: Riedle scores a brace
The two rivals met in the Champions League final on 28th May 1997 at Munich’s Olympic Stadium. Those that had survived from the final in May 1993 for Borussia were Stefan Klos, Stefan Reuter, Stephane Chapuisat and Michael Zorc, as well as manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, whilst goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi was the only Juve player to play in both games. Andreas Möller and Jürgen Kohler had switched allegiances and once again ended up on the winning side.
Borussia took the lead once again after Karl-Heinz Riedle had one of the best moments in his career and fired two goals past Juve in the space of five minutes (29’, 34’), with the second being a header from a Möller corner. Juventus, who had French World Champions Didier Deschamps and Zinedine Zidane playing for them, hit the post in the 42nd minute through Zidane. Goalkeeper Klos then tipped Christian Vieri’s shot onto the bar after 56 minutes. Alessandro del Piero’s wonderful back-heel from Alen Boksic’s cross in the 64th minute pulled one back for the Italians.
1997: “Super sub” Ricken becomes an immortal
Ottmar Hitzfeld replaced both strikers, firstly bringing on Heiko Herrlich and then Lars Ricken. But Herrlich wasn’t the one being talked about afterwards; instead it was 20-year-old Ricken who stole the show- with his only shot. He became an immortal in 14 seconds- Lars Ricken was the epitome of a super sub. Möller provided the assist and he chipped the ball over the keeper into the back of the net with his first touch. “It’s unbelievable that you can be so good at that age,” said his amazed manager Ottmar Hitzfeld and the rest of the footballing world. Ricken: “I noticed from the bench that Peruzzi was always quite far out of his goal. I didn’t think I could do it but finally I managed to. I could only dream about scoring a goal like that.”
And he wasn’t the only one dreaming. “Here comes Lars Ricken, the man who’ll score the winner- he’ll make it 3-1, or we hope so in any case,” were the words of radio commentator Manfred Breuckmann (WDR) as he came on.
The majority of the 58,000 spectators at the Olympic Stadium and millions on television were celebrating. The Ruhr region was the place to be, after Schalke 04 had also won the UEFA Cup the week before. The last chapter with Juventus was without doubt the best for Borussia Dortmund. And now there’s time for another to be written after 18 years.
