2012–13 UEFA Champions League facts for kids
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 18 September 2012 – 25 May 2013 |
| Teams | 32 (group stage) 76 (total) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Bayern Munich (5th title) |
| Runners-up | Borussia Dortmund |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 124 |
| Goals scored | 365 (2.94 per match) |
| Attendance | 5,526,358 (44,567 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Cristiano Ronaldo(12 goals) |
The 2012–13 UEFA Champions League was a super exciting football tournament. It was the 58th time this big competition was held. Teams from all over Europe played to see who was the best!
The champions of this season were Bayern Munich from Germany. They played amazingly well throughout the whole tournament. The final match was a special one, as it was the first time two German teams played against each other for the title.
Chelsea had won the Champions League the year before. But in this season, they were knocked out early. They didn't even make it past the first group stage!
Contents
The Road to the Final
The Champions League starts with many teams. They play in groups first. Then, the best teams move on to the "knockout stage." This means if you lose, you are out of the competition!
Round of 16: The First Knockout Games
In this round, 16 teams played against each other. Each match had two games, one at each team's home stadium. The team that scored more goals in total won and moved on.
Here are some of the big results:
- Galatasaray (Turkey) beat Schalke 04 (Germany) 4-3.
- Juventus (Italy) won against Celtic (Scotland) 5-0.
- Bayern Munich (Germany) beat Arsenal (England). It was a close game, ending 3-3, but Bayern won because of the "away goals rule." This rule means goals scored away from home count more if the total score is tied.
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany) defeated Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) 5-2.
- Barcelona (Spain) came back to beat Milan (Italy) 4-2. Milan had won the first game 2-0, but Barcelona won the second 4-0!
- Real Madrid (Spain) won against Manchester United (England) 3-2.
- Paris Saint-Germain (France) beat Valencia (Spain) 3-3, also on away goals.
- Málaga (Spain) won against Porto (Portugal) 2-1.
Quarter-Finals: The Best Eight Teams
Only eight teams were left now. The games got even more exciting!
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany) had a thrilling 3-2 win over Málaga (Spain).
- Real Madrid (Spain) beat Galatasaray (Turkey) 5-3.
- Barcelona (Spain) won against Paris Saint-Germain (France) 3-3, again on away goals.
- Bayern Munich (Germany) showed their strength by beating Juventus (Italy) 4-0.
Semi-Finals: The Final Four Teams
Now only four teams remained, fighting for a spot in the final.
- Bayern Munich (Germany) played against Barcelona (Spain). Bayern won by a huge score of 7-0 over two games! This was one of Barcelona's biggest defeats in the Champions League.
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany) faced Real Madrid (Spain). Dortmund won 4-3 in total. Robert Lewandowski scored four goals for Dortmund in the first game, which was amazing!
The Grand Final
The final match was played on 25 May 2013, at Wembley Stadium in London, England. It was a historic moment because it was the first time two German teams, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, played each other in the Champions League final!
| 25 May 2013 19:45 BST |
Borussia Dortmund |
1 – 2 | Bayern Munich |
Wembley Stadium, London Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Gündoğan  68' (pen.) |
Report | Mandžukić 60' Robben 89' |
The match was very close and exciting. Mandžukić scored first for Bayern Munich. Then, Gündoğan scored a penalty kick for Borussia Dortmund, making it 1-1. The game was tied until the very end.
In the 89th minute, just before the game finished, Robben scored the winning goal for Bayern Munich! This made Bayern Munich the champions of the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League. It was a fantastic end to a great season.
Amazing Goals: Hat-tricks
A "hat-trick" in football is when one player scores three goals in a single game. It's a very special achievement! Here are some players who scored hat-tricks in this Champions League season:
| Player | Team | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo |
 Real Madrid |
 Ajax |
4-1 (Away) | 3 October 2012 |
| Roberto Soldado |
Valencia |
 BATE Borisov |
3-0 (Away) | 23 October 2012 |
 Claudio Pizarro |
Bayern Munich |
 Lille |
6-1 (Home) | 7 November 2012 |
 Luiz Adriano |
 Shakhtar Donetsk |
 Nordsjælland |
5-2 (Away) | 20 November 2012 |
| Rui Pedro |
 CFR Cluj |
Braga |
3-1 (Home) | 20 November 2012 |
 Robert Lewandowski |
Borussia Dortmund |
Real Madrid |
4-1 (Home) | 24 April 2013 |
Note: Robert Lewandowski scored four goals in his game, which is even more impressive than a hat-trick!
See also
In Spanish: Liga de Campeones de la UEFA 2012-13 para niños
