As Atletico Madrid prepare for a make or break Champions League semi-final clash against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in a few days' time let us roll back the clock to the 1973-74 European Cup final when these teams met in two 'finales' as different as chalk and cheese at Brussels.
Though only time would tell as to whether Diego Simeone's current bunch would make good use of that slender 1-0 first-leg lead come the second-leg tie in Germany still history suggests otherwise.
Clash of the titans
So on to the 1973-74 European Cup and that Atleti team led by the famed quartet of Adelardo Rodriguez, Javier Irureta, José Eulogio Gárate and Luis Aragones were up against Bayern's golden generation consisting of Franz Beckenbauer, Sepp Maier and Paul Breitner, Ulrich "Uli" Hoeness and Gerd Muller . Though Georg Schwarzenbeck, Maier, Breitner, Beckenbauer, Hoeness, and Muller would later taste World Cup glory on home soil in a few months' time it was only after this contest that the world came to know of their brilliance.
Both Atletico and Bayern had won their respective league titles the previous years and were arguably the two best teams in the tournament. With no major issues to face for during the initial rounds both made it to the grand finale on the wake of some excellent performances.
The first game was largely a cat and mouse affair as both sides aimed to grab a quick goal and land that elusive knockout punch. Despite their best efforts, neither team could land a goal during those 90 minutes meaning that the game went into extra-time.
And it was Atleti who struck first when Aragones curled in a superb free-kick six minutes from time thus leaving the team on the cusp of victory. But alas it was not to be as Schwarzenbeck's last gasp goal in the dying moments of the game meant that the Bavarians levelled and took the game to a replay at the same venue (the penalty shoot-out rule was non-existent for at least the European Cup then).
Bayern break European duck and kick start a legacy
Coming to the replay and a completely different script panned out this time around as Bayern swept aside the Spaniards with disdain and recorded a remarkable 4-0 triumph. Hoeness (28', 82') and Muller (56', 69') bagged a brace each as the Germans never really allowed Atleti to settle and romped away to a memorable win.
That triumph was just the start of a memorable year for the Germans as they later waltzed to the World Cup final against the Dutch in Munich and memorably won it thanks to two priceless goals from Breitner and Muller .
It was just the start of a legacy for Bayern as they later dominated Europe in the coming years and won the next two European Cups (against Leeds United in 1974-75 and Saint-Etienne in 1975-76) as well as the Intercontinental Cup (against Cruzeiro in 1976). Bayern aso became only the third team in European club history (after Real Madrid and Ajax) to have won the tournament three times in succession.
Would Atleti ever win the Champions League?
In contrast, the loss in Brussels saw Aragones retiring soon after and settling into a coaching position with Atletico. That game also meant that Atleti's famous four had to later finish their careers without a single European Cup triumph to their name.
The only notable European achievement for Atleti in that era was that of Aragones coaching them to an Intercontinental Cup win over Argentina's Independiente a year after the loss in Brussels. Though that loss did somewhat ease off the pain still it remains a significant win in Atleti's illustrious history.
The last time that Atleti ever came to winning the European Cup (now revamped as the Champions League) was in 2013-14 at Lisbon when they were walloped 4-1 in heart breaking fashion by Real Madrid after leading till the third minute of injury time. In contrast, Bayern won the tournament in 2001-02 (a penalty shoot-out win over Valencia) and 2012-13 (and a 2-1 win against Borussia Dortmund) thus adding two more titles to their kitty
