This Day in History: 2023-08-21

Nr. 502

MULLER’S GOLDEN GOALS (1972)

West Germany’s ‘Der Bomber’ certainly wiped out the Soviet Union’s hopes of another European Nations title as he scored two goals in a 3-0 final tie win on 18 June 1972. In the European competition, prolific striker Gerd Muller was reprising the top-scoring role he had played for West Germany just two years earlier with his similar feat in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. The Bayern Munich player, who had scored 42 goals for his club during the previous league season, also provided much of the artillery for West Germany’s World Cup win two years later in 1974 – including the winning goal in the 2-1 final defeat of Holland. Muller’s heroics for his country coincided with a purple patch at club level, too, as he was Bayern Munich’s top scorer for three seasons from 1970-71 through to 1973-74, with more than 30 goals in each successive season. Unsurprisingly, this period also coincided with Bayern’s three-year domination of the European Cup competition.

In typical predatory fashion Gerd Muller stabs the opening goal past goalkeeper Yevgeny Rudakov.