Curtain falls for Bavarian star pair

– Bayern Munich will say farewell to two giants of the game today when World Cup winners Philipp Lahm (right) and Xabi Alonso retire from professional football.

Bayern’s game at home to Freiburg promises to be an emotional afternoon as the Bundesliga champions lift the trophy for the fifth successive season.

Between them, Lahm, 33, and Alonso, 35, have won every major trophy.

Defensive midfielder Alonso scored Liverpool’s crucial third goal in their comeback from 3-0 down at half-time in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan, before winning 3-2 in a penalty shoot-out, in Istanbul.

Berlin

Lahm captained Germany from right-back when his team scored four goals in six devastating firsthalf minutes in their 7-1 thrashing of hosts Brazil in the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup.

Alonso made his mark at three of the world’s biggest clubs – Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern.

He credits his move to Merseyside in 2004, five years after signing his first pro contract with home-town club Real Sociedad, for kick-starting his career.

He will forever be remembered at Anfield for his part in the fightback in the 2005 European final, netting a 60th-minute penalty to win the Champions League title at the end of his first season in England. –