The centre-backs: Jerome Boateng
Munich - One final, two Bundesliga clubs, 22 gladiators: These 'heroes of Wembley' will determine who wins the UEFA Champions League final 2012/13 between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in London on Saturday, 25 May.
Career details
bundesliga.com outlines the careers and key facts of the protagonists.
Tennis Borussia Berlin, Hertha BSC, Hamburger SV, Manchester City and FC Bayern Munich: not many 24-year-olds boast a CV quite like that of . A striker in his early days, Boateng made the successful transition to defensive stalwart at Hertha, with whom he won the U-17 championship. At 18, he made his professional debut for the capital club, before moving to Hamburg six months later. A further three years and 75 Bundesliga appearances down the line, Boateng jumped ship to ambitious English Premier League outfit Manchester City. Unable to settle, in part due to a spate of injuries, the son of a Ghanaian father and German mother returned to his homeland in 2011 with Bayern Munich. He quickly adjusted to the Bavarian way of life and the Bayern back four, playing his part in all 13 of the club's Champions League games last term.
In a World Cup qualifier in 2009, Boateng became the first ever Germany player to be sent off on his international debut, but with that slip-up behind him has since established himself as a regular in the side.
Key facts
- Boateng has had a quiet season by his standards, averaging just ten challenges per game.
Boateng has won 67 per cent of his aerial tussles, compared to just 54 per cent on the ground.
Boateng’s passing game has really impressed, with only nine per cent of his attempted passes failing to find a team-mate.
The 22 heroes of Wembley:
Dortmund:Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer - Gündogan, S. Bender - Blaszczykowski, Reus, Großkreutz - Lewandowski
Bayern:Neuer - Lahm, Boateng, Dante, Alaba - Schweinsteiger, Martinez - Robben, Müller, Ribery - Mandzukic
