The best place to start is somewhere in the middle. So, let's kick off with 2002-03. As we all know, Bayern won the Championship that season with 75 points in their pocket, a full 16 ahead of nearest challengers VfB Stuttgart. They lost just six matches in the entire campaign. Yet, the Royal Blues were a constant thorn in their side, drawing 0-0 with them in Bavaria and winning 1-0 in the Ruhr Valley. Niels Oude Kamphuis was the hero of the day, scoring the winner in the 38th minute on the final Match Day. Bayern, having wrapped up the Championship, were not too bothered to turn up while Schalke had nothing much to play for either. The Royal Blues finished in seventh, 26 points behind Bayern. As for Kamphuis, he left Schalke in 2005 and joined Borussia Mönchengladbach. Then, for personal reasons, he headed back to his home, joining former club Twente in 2006.
Yet, last day encounters between the two in previous seasons were filled with drama. In 1971-72, die Königsblauen went into the final day of the season just two points behind Bayern. They had won their only encounter in that season, 1-0. Bayern had also moved into their new home, the Olympiastadion. The match opened with some nervy moments for Bayern; the Bavarians had to clear off the line to prevent Schalke from scoring. Soon after, they went 2-0 up. Schalke hit one back; a grand stand finale was expected. Yet, the Blues really went out of the title race with a whimper as Bayern scored three more. Franz Beckenbauer celebrated the first of many trophies at the Olympiastadion as he lifted the shield.
More last day drama was to resume thirty nine years later in 2001. Ultimately, Schalke and Bayern's most important battle to date was not even against each other. To add some background, Schalke had won both encounters between the two, 1-3 in Bavaria and 3-2 in Gelsenkirchen, in the 2000-01 season. Schalke also won the hearts; but Bayern eventually won the title (I would rather keep the title). The two came into the final day of the season, separated by three points. Schalke beat Unterhaching 5-3; news filtered in from Hamburg that Bayern were losing by a goal. Yet, an indirect free-kick changed everything. With literally the last kick of the game, Patrik Andersson scored after Stefan Effenberg set him up. The pitch was filled with tearful supporters in Gelsenkirchen. Joy turned to utter devastation in the blue portion of the Ruhr (apologies to Bochum, here) as Effenberg proudly lifted the trophy.
Andersson, in his short two year stint at Bayern, played 37 times. He scored one goal, and that goal won Bayern a title. With that one goal, he etched his name into Bayern's history. As it happens, Andersson missed his chance from the spot in the penalty shootout against Valencia in the UEFA Champions League final that season!
This rivalry will resume tomorrow; if Wolfsburg win their match in this set of fixtures and Schalke manages to shock Bayern, what was assumed to be a closed title race will be reopened. I cannot wait!
In the event that you want to look further into Bayern's history, these are the results discussed above:
Schalke 1-0 Bayern (1971-72)
Bayern 5-1 Schalke (1971-72)
Bayern 0-0 Schalke (2002-03)
Schalke 1-0 Bayern (2002-03)
Bayern 1-3 Schalke (2000-2001)
Schalke 3-2 Bayern (2000-2001)
Schalke 5-3 Unterhaching (2000-2001)
Hamburg 1-1 Bayern (2000-2001)