Liverpool legend Alan Hansen has scoffed at the quality of Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Hansen wrote in the Telegraph: "If you want to make a direct comparison with the finest English football has offered the Champions League in recent years, I would suggest the difference in class between what Premier League and Bundesliga has been highly exaggerated.

"In fact, I would argue both Bayern and Dortmund would have lost to the English Champions League finalists of five years ago. Yes, the Manchester United and Chelsea sides of 2008 would have beaten the Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund of 2013. German football may well be improving, but their No 1 status is more a consequence of English and Spanish club football's slight deterioration this season.

"I doubt Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid felt intimidated by what they saw. With the correct recruits, they will feel confident they can ensure the all-German final was a one-off rather than the start of a recurring trend."