Borussia Mönchengladbach and Dynamo Kiev were paired in the Semifinals of the 1976/77 Champions Cup.
The West German powerhouse Borussia Mönchengladbach, managed by the former Bayern Munich Boss Udo Latteck, were then of the best squads in Europe and were on their way in clinching their Third straight Bundesliga Title (their fifth in eight seasons).
The squad was led by Berti Vogts, The Terrier, and contained Danish superstar Allan Simonsen, as well West German Internationals such as Uli Stielike, Rainer Bonhof and Wimmer.
They had qualified from their opening Rounds by defeating Austria’s FK Austria Vienna (0-1, 3-0), Italy’s Torino (2-1 away, 0-0) and Belgium’s Club Brugge (2-2 home, 1-0 away).
The Soviets of Dynamo Kiev were led by the legendary and revolutionary Valeri Lobanovsky who would go on and train future generations of Dynamo Kiev squads in the next two decades, as well as the USSR national team.
The team’s star was Oleg Blokhin the 1975 Ballon d’Or winner.
The team contained virtually all Internationals, such as Burjak, Konkov, Muntyan and Onischenko.
They had qualified from their opening Rounds by defeating Yugoslvia’s Partizan Belgrade (3-0, 2-0) and Greece’s PAOK (4-0, 2-0).
In the Quarterfinals, they had eliminated West Germany’s Bayern Munich of Franz Beckenbauer (0-1, 2-0). The defending Champions Bayern had won the trophy for three consecutive years.
The first leg, on April 6th, was played at Kiev’s Central Stadium.
The collective game of Kiev, though successful in the recent years, was now being criticized as too predictable.
The focus of attention was the duel between Blokhin and Vogts.
Kiev needing to win at home, attacked from the start. But despite dominating, they did not actually create many clear-cut chances.
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Photo From: Onze, Issue 16, April 1977 (The two teams entering the field, April 6, 1977, Champions Cup, Dynamo Kiev 1- Borussia Mönchengladbach 0) |
For the Germans, Simonsen was impressive and worked very hard for his team. In contrast, Wimmer and Heynckes (carrying a slight injury) had a difficult match and did not have their usual output.
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Photo From: Onze, Issue 16, April 1977 (Troshkin, Fomienko and Wimmer and Wolfgang Kneib making a save, April 6, 1977, Champions Cup, Dynamo Kiev 1-Borussia Mönchengladbach 0) |
The deadlock was only broken in the 71st minute. Burjak took a corner from the left that was headed in by Onischenko.
Latteck was furious on the sidelines for his team’s marking. He later stated that they gave away an avoidable unnecessary goal by just standing by and watching.
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Photo From: Onze, Issue 16, April 1977 (Oleg Blokhin and Berti Vogts, April 6, 1977, Champions Cup, Dynamo Kiev 1- Borussia Mönchengladbach 0) |
He was also angry about the extent of fouls committed by the Soviets, especially on Bonhof.
Despite the victory, Lobanovsky was also said to furious with his squad after the match. He believed they had squandered chances to score more than one goal.
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Photo From: Mondial, Old Series, Issue 3, April 1977 (April 6, 1977, Champions Cup, Dynamo Kiev 1-Borussia Mönchengladbach 0) |
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Photo From: Onze, Issue 16, April 1977 (Oleg Blokhin taking a shot, April 6, 1977, Champions Cup, Dynamo Kiev 1- Borussia Mönchengladbach 0) |
Because of the slim lead, many believed Mönchengladbach had a very good chance to clinch qualification on home soil.
Latteck seemed confident and remarked that Kiev goalkeeper Rudakov had problems with crosses from the wings as well as long distance shots.
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Photo From: Mondial, Old Series, Issue 3, April 1977 (April 6, 1977, Champions Cup, Dynamo Kiev 1-Borussia Mönchengladbach 0) |
April 6, 1977
Dynamo Kiev (USSR) 1- Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e.V. Mönchengladbach (West Germany) 0
Champions Cup- Semifinals, First Leg
Venue: Kiev - Central
Attendance: 100,000
Referee: Pablo Sanchez Ibanez (Spain)
Goalscorers: (Dynamo Kiev): Vladimir Ivanovich Onischenko 71st
(Mönchengladbach): None
Lineups:
Dynamo Kiev:
1-Evgeny Vasilyevich Rudakov, 6-Vladimir Nikolaevich Troshkin, 4-Mikhail Ivanovich Fomenko, 5-Stefan Mihaylovich Reshko, 3-Viktor Antonovich Matvienko, 7-Vladimir Fedorovich Muntyan, 2-Anatoly Dmitrievich Konkov, 9-Leonid Iosifovich Burjak , 10-Aleksandr Andriyevich Berezhnoy (14-Petro Petrovych Slobodyan 64), 8-Vladimir Ivanovich Onischenko, 11-Oleg Vladimirovich Blokhin
Coach: Valeri Vasiliyevich Lobanovsky
Booked: Mikhail Ivanovich Fomenko 42
Team Captain: Anatoly Dmitrievich Konkov
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Shirt Sponsor: None
Uniform Colors: White Shirts , White Shorts, White Socks
Mönchengladbach:
1-Wolfgang Kneib, 2-Hans-Hubert ‘Berti’ Vogts, 5-Rainer Bonhof, 4-Hans-Jurgen Wittkamp, 3-Hans Klinkhammer, 8-Herbert Wimmer, 9-Christian Kulik, 6-Horst Wohlers, 10-Ulrich Stielike, 7-Allan Simonsen (Denmark), 11-Josef ‘Jupp’ Heynckes
Coach: Udo Latteck
Booked: Hans-Hubert ‘Berti’ Vogts
Team Captain: Hans-Hubert ‘Berti’ Vogts
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Puma
Shirt Sponsor: None (though Erdgas were their shirt sponsors)
Uniform Colors: Light Blue Shirts, Black Shorts, Blue Socks
The second leg, on April 20th, was played at Düsseldorf’s Rheinstadion. Borussia chose the venue instead of their home venue of Bokelberg, because of its superior capacity.
Mönchengladbach could not call upon Heynckes, who was not only injured but also ill. Similarly, Dietmar Danner bowed out due to illness.
Heidenreich replaced Heynckes in the Borussia squad; otherwise the squad was unchanged from the first leg.
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Photo From: Mondial, Old Series, Issue 4, May 1977 (Allan Simonsen and Leonid Burjak, April 20, 1977, Champions Cup, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-Dynamo Kiev 0) |
Borussia also had to be cautious as Vogts, Wohlers, and Heidenreich were under threat of another yellow card suspension.
For the Soviets, Valeriy Zuyev started in place of Vladimir Muntyan.
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Photo From: Mondial, Old Series, Issue 4, May 1977 (Berti Vogts and Oleg Blokhin, April 20, 1977, Champions Cup, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-Dynamo Kiev 0) |
Vogts, once again, had the task of supervising Blokhin. He considered it the hardest challenge of his career. Many German journalists likened it to the Ali and Frazier duels.
Naturally, Borussia took the initiative to overcome the deficit. Rainer Bonhof stood out for Mönchengladbach, with Burjak in charge of neutralizing him.
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Photo From: France Football, Issue 1620, April 26, 1977 (Simonsen’s shot that led to the penalty kick, April 20, 1977, Champions Cup, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-Dynamo Kiev 0) |
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Photo From: Mondial, Old Series, Issue 4, May 1977 (April 20, 1977, Champions Cup, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-Dynamo Kiev 0) |
Borussia took the lead in the 21st minute. In a goalmouth scramble, Simonsen took a shot that was headed for goal. Matvienko stopped with his hand the goal bound shot. Bonhof scored from the spot.
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Photo From: L'Annee du Football 1977 (Bonhof’s opener, April 20, 1977, Champions Cup, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-Dynamo Kiev 0) |
Up to this point, Kiev were not in the game and were struggling. Early in the second half, Lobanovsky replaced Zuyev with Muntyan.
Muntyan’s entry galvanized the Kiev side and they started applying more pressure from then on.
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Photo From: Onze, Issue 17, May 1977 (Berti Vogts, April 20, 1977, Champions Cup, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-Dynamo Kiev 0) |
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Photo From: Onze, Issue 17, May 1977 (Wittkamp’s winner, April 20, 1977, Champions Cup, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-Dynamo Kiev 0) |
The match seemed to be headed for overtime when with less than ten minutes left, Borussia were awarded a free kick.
Bonhof lined up to take the kick and everyone expected a powerful shot.
Instead Bonhof delicately chipped the free kick over the wall, for Wittkamp to rush in and shoot on goal.
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Photo From: France Football, Issue 1620, April 26, 1977 (Bonhof between Troshkin and Fomienko, April 20, 1977, Champions Cup, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-Dynamo Kiev 0) |
The shot was blocked by Matvienko’s shoulder, Wimmer immediately crossed the loose ball from the right side and Wittkamp headed it in and gave Borussia the lead.
Borussia held on and qualified for the Final.
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Photo From: France Football, Issue 1620, April 26, 1977 (Heidenreich, April 20, 1977, Champions Cup, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-Dynamo Kiev 0) |
In the Final, Liverpool was one hurdle too many and the Germans were soundly beaten in Rome (1-3), as Vogts was unable to control Kevin Keegan like Blokhin.
They did manage to win the Bundesliga title (their last one to date) at the end of the season.
Allan Simonsen’s displays that year, earned him the Ballon d’Or at the end the calendar year.
April 20, 1977
Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e.V. Mönchengladbach (West Germany) 2-Dynamo Kiev (USSR) 0
Champions Cup- Semifinals, Second Leg
Venue: Düsseldorf- Rheinstadion
Attendance: 68,000
Referee: Francis Rion (Belgium)
Goalscorers: (Mönchengladbach): Rainer Bonhof 21st pen, Wittkamp 82nd
(Dynamo Kiev): None
Lineups:
Mönchengladbach:
1-Wolfgang Kneib, 2-Hans-Hubert ‘Berti’ Vogts, 5-Rainer Bonhof, 4-Hans-Jurgen Wittkamp, 3-Hans Klinkhammer, 8-Herbert Wimmer, 9-Christian Kulik, 6-Horst Wohlers, 10-Ulrich Stielike (12-Wilfried Hannes 78th) , 7-Allan Simonsen (Denmark), 11-Herbert Heidenreich
Coach: Udo Latteck
Team Captain: Hans-Hubert ‘Berti’ Vogts
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Puma
Shirt Sponsor: None (though Erdgas were their shirt sponsors)
Uniform Colors: White Shirts, White Shorts, White Socks
Dynamo Kiev:
1-Evgeny Vasilyevich Rudakov, 7-Valeriy Leonidovych Zuyev (14-Vladimir Fedorovich Muntyan 54th), 6-Vladimir Nikolaevich Troshkin, 4-Mikhail Ivanovich Fomenko, 5-Stefan Mihaylovich Reshko, 3-Viktor Antonovich Matvienko, 2-Anatoly Dmitrievich Konkov, 9-Leonid Iosifovich Burjak , 10-Aleksandr Andriyevich Berezhnoy , 8-Vladimir Ivanovich Onischenko, 11-Oleg Vladimirovich Blokhin
Coach: Valeri Vasiliyevich Lobanovsky
Booked: Anatoly Dmitrievich Konkov 37th
Team Captain: Anatoly Dmitrievich Konkov
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Shirt Sponsor: None
Uniform Colors: Blue Shirts , White Shorts, Blue Socks
