Brasso was already doing a roaring trade on Merseyside, but sales may now reflect a fifth trophy in as many months for GΘrard Houllier's all-conquering Liverpool.
The substitute Carsten Jancker's late header from Giovane Elber's cross frayed Scouse nerves, but the European champions Bayern Munich eventually became the highest-profile scalp so far as the Reds' monopoly on cup silverware was maintained last night.
In principle, Liverpool had good reason to be optimistic beforehand. Their ability to soak up pressure, patiently stifle opponents' attacking intent and then cut swathes on the counterattack via the pace of Michael Owen, running from deep, suggests they may prosper in the Champions League. Their opening only served to reinforce as much. After Bayern had fizzed the ball around midfield for four minutes without ever suggesting they would find a way through Liverpool's back-line, Markus Babbel's throw was gathered by Owen.
The England striker burst down the right flank and crossed into the six-yard box only for Thomas Linke to block Emile Heskey's point-blank attempt. Babbel, playing against the club whose colours he wore 182 times before swapping Munich for Merseyside, then nodded Gary McAllister's awkward free-kick just over the bar.
Bayern did not learn from their mistakes. After 22 minutes of mainly unspectacular German possession, Owen Hargreaves was dispossessed by John-Arne Riise, McAllister fed Steven Gerrard and the midfielder marvellously sent Owen tearing down the right. His low cross again by-passed Heskey, but the Norwegian bundled it home at the far post.
With only Giovane Elber's flicked header from Willy Sagnol's centre to show for their efforts, Bayern caved in again on the stroke of the interval. Another Munich old boy, Dietmar Hamann, fed Heskey who burst through Kovac and Linke and placed a low shot beyond Kahn.
The Germans, demoralised and in disarray, sought respite in the interval, but just 13 seconds after the resumption they went further behind. Jamie Carragher's punt forward should have been cleared by Pablo Thiam, but the sweeper missed his header; Owen controlled the dropping ball with his right foot and buried it with his left.
From such a position of authority, Liverpool wavered. Hargreaves' whipped corner was flicked beyond Sander Westerveld by the unmarked Hasan Salihamidzic to claw one back. By the time Hargreaves' clever pass was blazed wide by Elber, the English bench must have been suffering flashbacks to the topsy-turvy display against Alaves in Dortmund last May.
