Champions League Final: Live Report

58 mins: Superb block again from Chelsea's Cole - he anticipates danger and rushes across the area to block Gomez''s shot from inside the area.

55 mins: Kroos gets the ball on the left and lets fly from 25 yards - but it skews wide and the midfielder had teammates' in the middle there.

53 mins: A shot from Robben cannon's off Cole and drops at Ribery's feet - the Frenchman taps it home, he thinks he's scored but the linesman's flag comes to Chelsea's rescue.

51 mins: Drogba turns 40 yards out and unleashes a dipping effort toward's Neuer's goal but it goes wide of the German 'keeper's lefthand post.

48 mins: Robben breaks clear down the right but Ashley Cole gets a vital block in to stop his cross.

1947 GMT: They're back under way at the Allianz Arena...

Gary Cahill is back out there despite a couple of grabs at his left hamstring in the first half - Chelsea will be hoping he can keep going.

1939 GMT: Bayern had 60% of possession in that half and 13 attempts on goal - Di Matteo will want more in terms of attacking threat from his side after the interval.

45 + 1 mins: HALF-TIME - Bayern Munich 0 Chelsea 0

Roberto Di Matteo will be the happier of the two managers with that scoreline.

43 mins: ...and that's a great chance for Bayern, squandered by Gomez - the German bought some space with a dummy that fooled Cahill in the penalty area but the big striker scoops his shot high over the bar.

41 mins: Bayern work it out to Ribery on the left and he slices it across the goalmouth to Gomez at the back post but the German striker takes a touch and the chance is gone.

37 mins: Good move from Chelsea - Drogba flicks it to Lampard who passes it on to Kalou on the right but his tame shot is saved by Neuer. Probably Chelsea's best chance of the half.

36 mins: Cross in from Bayern's Contento on the left and Mueller connects well in the area but fires it wide.

33 mins: Now, Cahill is fouled by Boateng on the edge of the Bayern area - Drogba and Mata stand over it... but the Spaniard curls it over the crossbar.

31 mins: Bosingwa has a clumsy hack at Ribery's calf on the left touchline and the Frenchman gets treatment.

27 mins: Free-kick to Bayern on the right of the area as David Luiz is deemed to have fouled Kroos. Danger here... but Robben hits the wall.

21 mins: It's all Bayern here - Robben cuts into the box from the left and fires it low towards the goal but Cech deflects it onto the post with his foot. They're getting closer...

18 mins: Nervy moment in the Chelsea area as Frank Lampard plays a poor pass across his own six-yard box to Jose Bosingwa who slices it behind for a corner.

14 mins: A stop-start contest so far, but Bayern have had most of the possession and are posing the greater threat through Franck Ribery on the left.

8 mins: Bayern winger Arjen Robben cuts in from the right in trademark style, moves it onto his left foot but blazes high and wide. An early warning for Chelsea there.

4 mins: It opens up for Bayern's Schweinsteiger on the edge of the box but Gary Cahill gets in a crucial block to deflect it behind.

Toni Kroos shoots wide from the resulting corner.

2 mins: YELLOW CARD - Bastian Schweinsteiger goes in the book for a deliberate handball. That could come back to haunt him.

1845 GMT: KICK-OFF - The referee blows his whistle and Chelsea get the match under way in Munich.

1843 GMT: Both sets of players have filed into the stadium in Munich and are readying themselves for kick-off - the stage is set...

1842 GMT: 'Germany and former Bayern great Paul Breitner runs on to the pitch with the Champions League trophy held aloft, much to the delight of the Bayern fans. Lovely demonstration of pre-match neutrality from UEFA...' AFP's Robert Woollard writes from the Alianz.

1834 GMT: 'Chelsea fans filling the blue end of the Allianz now and are currently enjoying the club's unofficial anthem, the 1969 ska classic Liquidator by Harry J. Allstars,' writes Robert Woollard from the stadium in Munich.

'But Bayern doing their best to drown it out. Not long now?'

1828 GMT: Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo tells Sky Sports he is confident in his decision to pick 22-year-old Ryan Bertrand for his Champions League debut on the left of midfield.

"(Florent) Malouda picked up a little injury on Sunday and only joined us yesterday," Di Matteo says by way of explanation for the surprise selection.

1820 GMT: Some more from my colleague Ryland James in Munich: 'The five-strong team of officials is also out warming up, led by tonight's referee Pedro Proenca. The quintet are all Portuguese and even they look nervous as the stadium starts to fill up...'

1811 GMT: This from AFP's Ryland James who is at the packe Allianz Arena in the north of the Bavarian capital: 'Bayern are the first team out to warm-up as Chelsea's anthem "Blue is the colour" is played at the stadium just moments after Bayern's fans belt out their song "Stern des Suedens".

1807 GMT: More from my colleague Robert Woollard inside the stadium in Munich: 'According to the stats experts, Bertrand is the first player in the modern history of the Champions League to make his tournament debut in the final. No pressure then.'

1803 GMT: The main surprise with the team line-ups is that Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo has handed a Champions League debut to youngster Ryan Bertrand.

In a sign that the Blues will seek to neutralise the threat of Dutch winger Arjen Robben, Di Matteo has picked the defender Bertrand to operate ahead of full-back Ashley Cole on the left wing.

Bertrand, 22, has never played in Europe's elite league before and his selection represents a huge gamble for Chelsea.

1755 GMT: The team line-ups are in - of course both teams are without key players, with Bayern missing Holger Badstuber, David Alaba and Luiz Gustavo and Chelsea without captain John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Raul Meireles and Ramires, all through suspension:

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1)

Manuel Neuer; Diego Contento, Jerome Boateng, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Philipp Lahm (capt); Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos; Franck Ribery, Thomas Mueller, Arjen Robben; Mario Gomez

Coach: Jupp Heynckes

Chelsea (4-2-3-1)

Petr Cech; Ashley Cole, David Luiz, Gary Cahill, Jose Bosingwa; Frank Lampard (captain), John Obi Mikel; Ryan Bertrand, Juan Mata, Salomon Kalou; Didier Drogba.

Coach: Roberto Di Matteo

Referee: Pedro Proenca (Portugal)

1745 GMT: More from AFP's Robert Woollard in Munich: 'Arjen Robben -- wearing a massive set of headphones -- is one of the first Bayern players out to inspect the pitch. The Bayern fans are lapping this up and give the Dutch winger a huge cheer.'

1740 GMT: This from AFP sports correspondent Robert Woollard at the Allianz Arena in Munich: 'A huge cheer goes up from the Bayern end as the giant screens inside the stadium cut to show their team's arrival.

'The stadium announcer is doing his best to whip up the atmosphere. Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger gets a big round of applause.

'Meanwhile, out on the pitch, Chelsea's suspended captain John Terry -- who will be a frustrated spectator tonight after his sending off in the semi-final -- is soaking up the early atmosphere.'

WELCOME TO AFP'S LIVE REPORT on the Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea which is set to kick off at Bayern's home ground, the Allianz Arena, at 8.45 pm local time (1845 GMT).

Stay with us for all the team news and build up to the biggest game in club football.

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