Two camps who were getting their respective Champions League adventures underway on Wednesday night, Bayern Munich clinched a thrilling 3-1 victory against Chelsea at the Allianz.
Vincent Kompany’s men opened the scoring after 20 minutes as Chelsea defender Trevor Chalobah unfortunately turned into his own net following a driven cross from former Crystal Palace ace Michael Olise.
Bayern doubled their advantage just seven minutes later as the red-hot Harry Kane slotted home from the penalty spot and sent the Allianz home support into overdrive.
Although playmaking talisman Cole Palmer might have produced a sweeping finish just seconds after Kane’s converted spot-kick, Bayern largely dominated after returning from the half-time break and were a worthy winner on home soil.
With Kane shattering even more records on Wednesday night, the England skipper bagged his second of the night just after the hour-mark and fired Bayern to what was a major opening statement here.
While Palmer might have narrowly seen a second goal of the night ruled out following a VAR check, Chelsea failed to find any real long spells of fluidity at the Allianz and they will be concerned by a downbeat start to their Champions League return.
The Blues don’t have long to feel sorry for themselves as they face another high-profile clash this weekend when they travel to historic rivals Manchester United on Saturday evening.
On a night when Bayern Munich opened their Champions League adventure with a heavyweight scalp on home soil, we have taken a look at the main talking points from Wednesday’s showdown.
Kompany’s men lay down an opening marker in Munich
While there might have been plenty of raised eyebrows around the Allianz last summer following Kompany’s arrival in Munich, the German giants have embarked on a stellar rise under the ex-Burnley boss.
Reclaiming their Bundesliga crown at a canter last season and hardly having to get out of third gear, it is no secret that Bayern have their sights firmly set on mounting a genuine European charge this time around.
Picking up a heavyweight scalp on Wednesday night and storming their way past the newly-crowned Club World Cup champions, Bayern’s clinical performance would have certainly been acknowledged across the continent.
Knowing that they could have easily bagged a couple more goals on Wednesday night, the one-time Manchester City skipper has seen his superstar squad gain a fearsome reputation for their free-scoring displays in the final third.
Marking their return from September’s international break with a routine 5-0 romp at home against Hamburg, Bayern are also the only club across Germany’s elite who can boast a 100% start to proceedings.
Kane at his clinical best
While many might have wondered how Kane would adjust to life among Germany’s elite after arriving at the Allianz back in the summer of 2023, the former Tottenham talisman has only further underlined his status as one of the greatest number nines in history.
Bagging a Champions League brace here and at the heart of everything positive that Bayern produced, the 32-year-old has opened the new campaign in the midst of another remarkable run.
Firing Kompany’s side to the German Super Cup last month following a 2-1 victory against Stuttgart, Bayern’s attacking icon has now registered 11 goals for club and country in just his first seven appearances across all fronts.
Now recording 10 goals against Chelsea across all competitions, Kane also shattered even more European records on Wednesday night.
Putting his former domestic rivals to the sword here and getting his European charge underway with a sensational start, no English player in Champions League history has now recorded more direct goal contributions that the Three Lions’ skipper.
Chelsea must dust themselves down immediately
Suffering last-gasp heartbreak away at bitter local rivals Brentford last weekend as they eventually marked their return from September’s international break with a 2-2 stalemate at the Gtech, many were wondering if Chelsea would show any signs of a hangover here.
Making real history back in July as they were crowned Club World Cup champions thanks to a sensational 3-0 romp against PSG in the United States, Enzo Maresca’s men opened their European adventure on Wednesday night regarded as a genuine contender.
However, largely failing to find any kind of fluidity in Munich and getting their Champions League return underway with a 3-1 defeat on foreign soil, the former Leicester boss will also have a mounting headache over his side’s defensive inconstancies.
With Sanchez cutting a visibly frustrated figure between the sticks, the Blues have now registered just a single clean sheet from any of their previous eight Champions League showdowns away from Stamford Bridge – a run that stems all the way back to November 2021.
Desperately seeking an immediate response when they turn their attention back to Premier League duties this weekend, Chelsea will be next seen on Saturday evening when they travel to historic rivals Manchester United.
Match Report
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanisic, Kimmich, Pavlovic, Olise, Gnabry, Diaz, Kane
Subs: Boey, Kim Min-Jae, Goretzka, Bischof, Jackson
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Cucurella, James, Caicedo, Fernandez, Neto, Palmer, Pedro
Subs: Santos, Garnacho, Estevao
Goals: Bayern Munich: Chalobah (20’ OG), Kane (27’ P, 63’)
Yellow Cards: Bayern Munich: Olise, Laimer, Tah – Chelsea: Santos
Red Cards: N/A
Referee: Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez
