2011–12 UEFA Champions League facts for kids
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 13 September 2011 – 19 May 2012 |
| Teams | 32 (group stage) 76 (total) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Chelsea (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Bayern Munich |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 125 |
| Goals scored | 345 (2.76 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Lionel Messi(14 goals) |
| Best player |  Andrés Iniesta |
The 2011–12 UEFA Champions League was a super exciting football tournament. It was the 57th time this big competition happened. Teams from all over Europe played against each other.
The champions of this season were Chelsea, a famous team from England. They won the final match in a thrilling way! The tournament ran from September 13, 2011, to May 19, 2012. A total of 76 teams took part, with 32 making it to the main group stage.
The defending champions from the year before, FC Barcelona, were knocked out in the semi-finals. This set up an amazing final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
Contents
How the Tournament Worked
The UEFA Champions League starts with many teams. They play in a group stage first. The best teams then move on to the "knockout stage." This means if you lose a match, you're out of the competition!
The knockout stage has several rounds:
- Round of 16
- Quarter-finals
- Semi-finals
- The Final
In most knockout matches, teams play two games against each other. One game is at home, and one is away. The team that scores more goals in total wins and moves on. If the scores are tied, special rules like "away goals" or "penalty shootouts" decide the winner.
The Road to the Final
In the semi-finals, Bayern Munich played against Real Madrid. It was a very close match! They tied 3-3 after both games. Bayern Munich won in a penalty shootout.
In the other semi-final, Chelsea faced FC Barcelona. Chelsea won 3-2 on total goals, which was a big surprise for many fans. This meant Chelsea and Bayern Munich would play in the final.
The Big Final Match
The final of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League was held on May 19, 2012. It took place at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. This was Bayern Munich's home stadium, which gave them an advantage!
| 19 May 2012 20:45 CEST |
Bayern Munich |
1–1 (a.e.t.) |
Chelsea |
Allianz Arena, Munich Attendance: 62,500 Referee: Pedro Proença (Portugal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Müller  83' |
Report | Drogba 88' |
||
| Penalties | ||||
Lahm  Gómez Neuer Olić  Schweinsteiger |
3–4 | Mata Luiz Lampard Cole Drogba |
The game was tied 1-1 after regular time and extra time. Thomas Müller scored for Bayern Munich in the 83rd minute. But then, Didier Drogba scored a goal for Chelsea in the 88th minute!
Because the score was still tied, the winner was decided by a penalty shootout. Chelsea won the shootout 4-3, making them the champions! This was Chelsea's first time winning the UEFA Champions League.
Top Players and Goals
The top scorer of the 2011–12 tournament was Lionel Messi from FC Barcelona. He scored an amazing 14 goals! The best player of the tournament was Andrés Iniesta, also from FC Barcelona.
Players Scoring Three or More Goals in One Game
Sometimes, a player scores three or more goals in a single match. This is called a "hat-trick." Here are some players who achieved hat-tricks in this season:
| Player | For Team | Against Team | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Gómez |
Bayern Munich |
 Napoli |
3-2 (Home) | 2 November 2011 |
| Roberto Soldado |
Valencia |
 Genk |
7-0 (Home) | 23 November 2011 |
| Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
 Viktoria Plzeň |
4-0 (Away) | 23 November 2011 |
 Bafétimbi Gomis4 |
Lyon |
 Dinamo Zagreb |
7-1 (Away) | 7 December 2011 |
| Lionel Messi5 |
Barcelona |
Bayer Leverkusen |
7-1 (Home) | 7 March 2012 |
| Mario Gómez4 |
Bayern Munich |
 Basel |
7-0 (Home) | 13 March 2012 |
4 This player scored four goals in that game. 5 This player scored five goals in that game!
See also
In Spanish: Liga de Campeones de la UEFA 2011-12 para niños
