Chelsea face a tough task in their 2025-26 Champions League opener as they take on old foe Bayern Munich in Germany.
- Date: 17/09/2025
- Kick-off: 8:00pm
- Location: Allianz Arena, Munich
These two sides have played out some classics over the years, but Bayern have had the better of the most recent encounters, winning the last three in a row, with the latest a 7-1 aggregate victory back in the 2019-20 Champions League campaign.
Bayern have also started the season in outstanding fashion, winning all of their five games in all competitions so far, scoring 19 goals and conceding just five. Chelsea, meanwhile, have drawn two of their last four games and have looked off the pace at times.
Harry Kane has started the season excellently, with eight goals in just five games, and is therefore in prime condition to make his mark on this game.
Bayern exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage last season, losing to Inter over two legs. Bayern were largely the better team over both games but were struggling with injuries at the time, and an inability to defend set pieces was ultimately their undoing.
The team are looking to level up this season under Vincent Kompany, and they've strengthened the attack notably, bringing in Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson. The feeling in Bavaria is that the team is stronger than it has been for a while, and the expectation is that they get their hands on this trophy for the seventh time.
Chelsea have had an up-and-down start to the season. Two wins and two draws from four games is an acceptable set of results in a vacuum, but the Blues' performances haven't been the most convincing. They've mostly had a favourable opening few weeks in terms of fixture difficulty, playing sides that are likely to be either relegation candidates or mid-table teams, but aside from their away game against West Ham (who look very weak), the Blues have had clear issues in every game they've played.
The hope amongst the fan base pre-season was that, after winning the Club World Cup, the team would mount a push for the league title, but despite spending an eyewatering amount of money over the last few years, they still look well short of that level. Still, fans can hope the team will be a strong presence in this competition, which they haven't been part of since the 2023-24 season.
Bayern Munich 3-2 Chelsea
