A Gerd Müller strike after 43 minutes extinguished Dutch dreams after the match had started perfectly for Rinus Michel’s ‘total football’ collective.

Penalties for Holland after two minutes and West Germany after 26 left the match delicately poised but statistics cannot convey the drama of a memorable final. So many factors made this a mouth-watering fixture and it did not disappoint.

Holland, playing the brand of ‘total football’ that had seen them coast to the final without conceding a goal and disposing of Argentina and world champions Brazil in the process, seemed a certainty to win in their third finals appearance.

The Germans, bitter rivals of the young Dutch upstarts, were stoic, resolute, organised and in their own back-yard. Would they stifle Holland’s creativity and grind out a famous victory? Captaining the Germans was ’Der Kaiser’, Franz Beckenbauer, appearing in his third finals in a row and their inspirational leader. Facing him, probably the most gifted technician in the world - Dutch captain Johan Cruyff.

Penalty: Cruyff is crudely tripped by a Hoeness lunge

It was Cruyff who made the first thrust, picking the ball up in midfield and driving towards the German box after a series of 15 passes left the hosts chasing shadows. Cruyff danced inside Vogts but could not avoid the lunging Uli Hoeness, who clumsily took Cruyff’s ankles inside the box. English referee Jack Taylor made possibly the bravest decision of his career when he pointed to the spot in the first minute of a World Cup final and awarded a penalty against the hosts.

Johann Neeskens calmly stroked the ball down the centre to give Holland the lead. Maier became the first German to touch the ball when he fished it out of the net.

With Cruyff orchestrating the midfield, Holland teased the ball around the Germans, who used strong-arm tactics to try and thwart Cruyff and Rensenbrink. Vogts was eventually booked after his third bite at Holland’s captain. Yet as the half wore on Holland sat back and allowed the Germans the advantage. Müller jinked and turned, Breitner overlapped and Holzenbein grew in influence as the Dutch surrendered territory and dropped deeper.

It was Holzenbein, on a mazy run into the box, who drew the 26th minute challenge from Jansen that led to the equalizer. The big German seemed to have evaded the Dutchman’s challenge but collapsed anyway and referee Taylor pointed to the spot. Breitner converted the kick with Jongbloed static.

With the crowd livened and Holland riddled with doubt it took last ditch defending from Krol, Haan and Suurbier, plus timely punches from Jongbloed to keep the Germans out. Holland were clock-watching as half-time approached. Yet in a rare attack Cruyff beat Beckenbauer and squared to Jonny Rep who could only hit Maier. The miss proved costly.

Goal: Muller fires the winner

Two minutes before the interval, Bonhof beat Haan on the right and squared the ball for Müller who, despite having to re-adjust, swivelled and guided the ball past Jongbloed.

Although Breitner cleared off the line from Cruyff in the second period, Maier repelled everything else and Germany held on to win their second World Cup. They could have had another had a perfectly good goal from Müller been allowed, but Der Kaiser deservedly collected the trophy anyway.

Goals – West Germany: Breitner 26 (pen), Müller 43; Holland: Neeskens 2 (pen)

Schoen and Beckenbauer cradel the brand new FIFA World Cup

Teams – West Germany: Maier; Vogts, Schwarzenbeck, Beckenbauer (c), Breitner; Bonhof, Hoeness, Overath; Grabowski, Müller, Hölzenbein.

Holland: Jongbloed; Suurbier, Rijsbergen (de Jong - 68), Haan, Krol; Jansen, Neeskens, van Hanegem; Rep, Cruyff (c), Rensenbrink (R van der Kerkhoff – 46).

Yellow cards: Vogts (West Germany), Cruyff, Neeskens, van Hanegem (Holland).

Olympiastadion, Munich. Attendance: 75,200