Despite their disappointments in domestic competitions, Heynckes' Bayern had qualified for the 2012 Champions League Final in April 2012, defeating Real Madrid on penalty kicks in the semi-finals. In the final, held at the Allianz Arena, die Roten faced English club Chelsea. Despite controlling most of the match and taking a 1–0 lead in the 83rd minute, Bayern lost the match 4–3 on penalties. This meant that Bayern had finished as runners-up in all three major competitions in which they had competed in 2011–12.
