On their return to the most prestigious European club competition, Chelsea were firmly put back in their place by one of its great lords, Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich 3-1 Chelsea
Chalobah (o.g.) 20’, Kane 26’ and 63’ for Bayern, Palmer 29’ for Chelsea
Experience versus youth, wisdom versus recklessness—many metaphors could be used to describe this clash between Bayern Munich and a very young Chelsea side. But on this opening night for the Blues, German wisdom shone through brilliantly.
And yet, Chelsea arrived at the Allianz Arena without fear. In a 4-3-3 formation (the same one that had brought them victory against PSG at the Club World Cup), with James deployed in midfield, Chelsea came out strong, launching direct and dangerous attacks. But neither Neto nor Enzo managed to make the most of those opportunities.
After Chelsea’s lively start came the Bavarian punishment. The first goal came from a well-worked free-kick routine: Olise began on the left, cut inside, and delivered such a powerful cross that Chalobah ended up turning it into his own net. Shortly after, Bayern won a penalty following a foul by Caicedo on Kane. The English striker made no mistake, and Bayern quickly led 2-0.
Almost instantly, Palmer struck back. On one of Chelsea’s swift transition plays, he broke through and scored, marking his 100th appearance in a Blues shirt with a crucial goal.
But Bayern never lost their composure. In the second half, German technical control and Chelsea’s youthful mistakes would prove decisive. On a clearance attempt, Gusto miscontrolled the ball, handing Kane the perfect gift to finish off the Blues.
In the end, Bayern’s victory was more than logical, and the learning curve will be a harsh one for Chelsea.