Bayern Munich 3-1 Chelsea: Harry Kane nets brace as Enzo Maresca’s side start Champions League campaign with defeat

So it seems it’s one factor to beat groups like Flamengo, ES Tunis, Benfica and Palmeiras in a cash-bloated, glorified set of summer time friendlies and name yourselves World Champions.

And it’s fairly one other to come back to the house of a European large like Bayern Munich within the season’s opening spherical of the Champions League and discover out what a correct competitors seems like.

It’s fairly one other factor, too, to come back up towards a striker like Harry Kane in a contest that issues. Kane was at his medical greatest towards his outdated adversaries. He scored twice and pulled Chelsea’s defence to items. This was very a lot a actuality examine for Enzo Maresca and his workforce.

Chelsea might declare to be the world’s greatest on the again of their triumph within the Membership World Cup however their defeat to Bayern within the Allianz Enviornment on Wednesday evening proved what the remainder of us all knew: they’re removed from that.

It was not that they disgraced themselves. In reality, Cole Palmer seemed like probably the greatest gamers on the earth with a efficiency, and a aim, that dragged Chelsea again into the sport within the first half after that they had threatened to implode.

However this was not the exhibition soccer by which they have been concerned within the States. This was actual. Bayern are actually unbeaten of their final 35 residence Champions League group stage/league section video games. They haven’t misplaced right here at this stage since 2013, when their supervisor, Vincent Kompany was on the bench for Manchester Metropolis in a 3-2 win.

The England captain pulled Chelsea’s defence aside as they discovered what a correct competitors seems like

In the beginning of the evening, it had felt as if Chelsea have been visiting their glad place after they ran out in entrance of the 75,000 bouncing, roaring followers in crimson and white. It’s the identical when Manchester United play on the Nou Camp or Liverpool go to the stadium within the hills and the mud outdoors Istanbul.

None of the present gamers have been right here on Might 19 2012 for the best evening in Chelsea’s historical past, after they confronted down the may of Bayern Munich on their residence turf to win the Champions League for the primary time of their historical past. However loads of the followers have been.

As they took their locations excessive within the Gods at one finish of the stadium, the visiting Chelsea supporters gazed down on the goalmouth under them and watched, of their thoughts’s eye, Didier Drogba, rising to move that well-known near-post equaliser two minutes from time. They sang Frank Lampard’s title, and Drogba’s.

They noticed him wheeling away after the decisive penalty within the shoot-out, too. They noticed Ashley Cole in tears on the remaining whistle. They noticed John Terry, suspended for the sport, working out to affix the celebrations in his package. The whole lot from that astonishing evening is printed on the brains of Chelsea supporters.

Chelsea are a unique membership now, after all. They’ve completely different homeowners, a unique philosophy, a unique coach and a complete set of various gamers however one factor is a continuing: as they kicked off their first sport of this 12 months’s competitors towards the German champions, it’s nonetheless the trophy they need above all others.

It seems their second sport within the competitors, towards Benfica at Stamford Bridge per week on Tuesday, will reunite them with Jose Mourinho, their best supervisor, so historical past hung closely and fortunately over the start of their try and win this trophy for the third time. That sense of nostalgia didn’t final lengthy.

Chelsea ought to have scored within the seventh minute. Palmer broke down the suitable, reduce inside and performed a superb cross into the trail of Enzo Fernandez, who had made a surging run into the field. Fernandez tried to regulate the ball, his contact let him down and the prospect was gone.

Chelsea quickly regretted their profligacy. When Bayern swept the ball out to the suitable halfway via the half, for some motive it was Joao Pedro who went out extensive to shut down Michael Olise. Olise went previous him with ease and fizzed in a cross that Trevoh Chalobah was his personal web.

Cole Palmer netted for Chelsea to offer them hope however they have been comfortably second greatest

Chelsea might declare to be the world’s greatest after successful the Membership World Cup however they’re removed from that in actuality

Chelsea seemed as if they could implode. Seven minutes later, Bayern have been two up. Kane obtained the ball along with his again to aim and turned neatly within the space. He was too intelligent for Moises Caicedo, who tried to deal with him however missed the ball and wrestled Kane to the ground.

After a brief delay, the referee pointed to the spot. Kane stepped as much as take it and despatched Robert Sanchez the incorrect manner. Kane had instructed that enjoying towards followers who like to hate him can be a motivation and this felt like a prophecy coming true.

Kane, who gained the primary trophy of his profession with Bayern when he lifted the Bundesliga trophy final season, has now scored 9 targets towards Chelsea. His document within the Champions League provides the mislead the concept he’s solely succeeding due to the weak point of German soccer.

Kane, 32, has now began this season with seven targets in 4 video games. His document, in all competitions since he joined the German giants in 2023, now stands at 95 targets in 102 matches.

As an alternative of collapsing, Chelsea hit again. Palmer, who had been a pleasure to look at even amid Chelsea’s adversity, set off on a run from his personal half and performed a one-two with Malo Gusto. He accelerated on to the return and lifted a superb first-time shot excessive into the highest nook of Manuel Neuer’s web.

Kane nearly restored Bayern’s two-goal benefit 10 minutes into the second half. The England captain ran on to Konrad Laimer’s reverse cross however his fierce left-foot drive cannoned off the shin of Sanchez and away to security.

Sanchez saved Chelsea once more a couple of minutes later. This time, the goalkeeper produced a fairly breathtaking save, flinging himself to his proper to save lots of one-handed when Olise thought he was passing the ball into an open aim after Kane’s cut-back.

However Bayern wouldn’t be denied. Their stress compelled Malo Gusto right into a calamitous error. The complete-back stretched to attempt to rescue a nasty contact however solely succeeded in poking the ball straight to Kane.

Chelsea checked out although they might have imploded after Chalobah put into his personal web and Kane scored his first

They did not, nevertheless it was in the end Kane who had the ultimate keep along with his two medical strikes

Kane, 25 yards out, turned and noticed that Sanchez was out of place, to 1 facet of his aim. Sanchez tried to regain his floor however Kane curled the ball expertly round him and into the underside nook.

Chelsea tried however they might not make any inroads in Bayern’s lead. It was quite a stark reminder for Maresca and his workforce that soccer simply obtained actual once more.