Chelsea’s defeat to Bayern Munich evoked a worrying sense of familiarity. With the score already defined in the 70th minute, the Bavarian fans celebrated each pass with an “Olé”, anticipating the victory. Despite the effort and determination shown in Munich, Chelsea’s defense crumbled in the crucial moments, allowing Harry Kane and his Bayern teammates to capitalize on the situation and take the victory by 3-1.
The match unfolded in a tense atmosphere, with both teams playing with high lines, taking risks and seeking reward in every play. With co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly present in the stadium, Chelsea started on the right foot, pressing Bayern with an intensity similar to that seen in the victory at the FIFA Club World Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, with Malo Gusto standing out on the right wing.
The situation changed drastically when the game stopped favoring Chelsea. Kane and Michael Olise took advantage of the situation to destabilize Chelsea’s optimistic performance, giving them a harsh welcome to the UEFA Champions League after two seasons of absence.
Chelsea’s defensive errors were decisive. Although the pressure in attack was intense, Bayern’s three goals originated from Chelsea’s defensive failures. In the first goal, after a loose ball, Joshua Kimmich found Olise, who with an elaborate play, sent a pass that, after being deflected by Trevoh Chalobah, ended up in an own goal. In the second goal, Olise assisted Kane, who surpassed Moisés Caicedo, and was later brought down in the area. Kane converted the penalty, putting the score at 2-0 in favor of Bayern. Chelsea scored with an excellent play that culminated in Cole Palmer, after an assist from Gusto.
Chelsea failed to keep up the pace, showing frustration and little threat in the second half. Bayern, on the other hand, took control, with tactical changes by coach Enzo Maresca that did not work. After a notable save by Sánchez against Olise, Kane scored his second goal in the 63rd minute, taking advantage of a mistake by Gusto, sealing the 3-1.
With 10 goals in six matches this season, Kane’s goalscoring performance is impressive. His performance on the field highlights his quality as a true football phenomenon.Harry Kane con su doblete permitió al Bayern comenzar su campaña de Champions League con una convincente victoria por 3-1 sobre el Chelsea.
(Foto de Maja Hitij/Getty Images)Bayern’s goals were avoidable, as they found spaces between Reece James, in his position as an improvised defensive midfielder, and Chelsea’s defensive line.
Chelsea came into the match with optimism, being the world champion. However, they repeated similar mistakes to those that Brentford took advantage of in Saturday’s draw, where Chelsea were caught on the counterattack and failed in defense. Chelsea’s defensive fragility was evident. There is hope with the recovery of Wesley Fofana, the return of Benoît Badiashile, and the promising talent of Jorrel Hato. James needs to return to his right-back position, leaving behind the defensive midfield experiment.
There were positive aspects, such as Gusto’s outstanding performance in attack and Palmer’s good performance. Palmer’s goal was exceptional, but another goal was disallowed for offside. The team seems to be in the process of adaptation, and this match against Bayern was a tough lesson.
For Bayern, it was just another match. Despite a turbulent start to the season, Bayern has four consecutive victories, including a 5-0 against Hamburg. However, they have had problems with injuries to Alphonso Davies, Jamal Musiala, and Hiroki Ito.
During the summer, Bayern saw Thomas Müller, Leroy Sané, Kingsley Coman, João Palhinha, and Mathys Tel leave. They signed Luis Díaz, Jonathan Tah, and Tom Bischof, but failed to sign Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade.
They needed the last-minute signing of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea to reinforce their attack. There were internal tensions and criticisms, although the players kept going. Kane admitted that the squad was small, and Kimmich described the depth as “thin”.
In the match against Chelsea, Josip Stanisic played again as left-back, following Raphaël Guerreiro’s injury. The squad was even more affected by Tah’s departure at halftime and Stanisic’s injury. Despite this, they kept up the pace.
Uli Hoeneß, a member of Bayern’s supervisory board, suggested the team was an “underdog” in the Champions League. However, Bayern demonstrated their potential. They are a difficult opponent, with Kimmich controlling the game and Díaz and Olise attacking with enthusiasm. Olise is the fans’ favorite, and Kane remains lethal. The question is whether they can deal with an injury crisis, competing on three fronts. The key will be Vincent Kompany’s management.
Chelsea needs to solve its defensive problems. Bayern, for its part, must continue doing what it does best: winning. Although, cautiously, they hope that all their players stay in shape.
