England striker Harry Kane was the standout performer as Bayern Munich defeated Chelsea 3-1 in their opening Champions League match. The 32-year-old earned and converted a penalty before finishing a second goal with a curled strike following a misplaced pass by Malo Gusto.
Chelsea’s own struggles contributed to the early setbacks. Defender Trevoh Chalobah inadvertently put the ball into his own net, while Cole Palmer, making his 100th appearance for the club, scored a brilliant goal to briefly reduce the deficit. Despite this, the Blues were unable to recover as Bayern maintained control in the second half.
Chances went begging for both sides, with Michael Olise and Kane missing opportunities for Chelsea. Ultimately, Gusto’s error allowed Kane to secure the decisive third goal in the 63rd minute, effectively ending Chelsea’s hopes of a comeback.
Chelsea performance: mistakes cost the Blues
Chelsea started brightly and were competitive in the first half, but costly errors proved decisive. The team failed to capitalise on early openings created by Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez, and Palmer’s late goal was ruled out for a narrow offside.
Manager Enzo Maresca admitted his side lacked consistency, stating that the team needed to maintain focus throughout the 95 minutes. The introduction of attacking substitutes like Estevao Willian, Alejandro Garnacho, and Jamie Gittens came too late to change the outcome, despite Palmer’s impressive display.
While the performance was not disastrous, it highlighted areas requiring improvement. Maresca emphasised the potential to learn from the defeat and build on the experience for future matches in Europe.
Bayern analysis: Kane and Olise deliver
Harry Kane continues to cement his legacy at Bayern Munich, already amassing 10 goals in six matches this season and reaching 95 goals in 102 appearances for the club, along with 29 assists. His evolving role, often dropping deeper to facilitate wide runners, has added a new dimension to the team’s attack.
Manager Vincent Kompany praised Kane’s off-the-ball work, highlighting his movement, pressing, and defensive contribution in addition to his finishing. Alongside ex-Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, Kane has shown the capacity to lead Bayern to European success.
Bayern faced challenges on the bench, with only five senior substitutes available and a fourth-choice left-back coming on due to an injury to Josip Stanisic. Despite this, the team’s experience and tactical adjustments after halftime proved decisive against Chelsea.
Next fixtures
Chelsea will return to Premier League action with a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Saturday evening. Bayern Munich travel to play Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on the same day, looking to continue their winning start to the season.
