Match preview
Bayern’s wait for another slice of European stardom has arguably gone on for too long, having failed to conquer the continent since defeating Paris Saint-Germain behind closed doors in 2020, suffering four quarter-final exits and one semi-final elimination in the past five years.
The newly-crowned Champions League winners avenged that showpiece defeat to the Bavarians in this year’s Club World Cup too, but Bayern have since swept aside foes left, right and centre in domestic football, as is customary for the 2024-25 German top-flight winners.
Five games have brought five wins for Kompany’s men, who have already clinched one trophy this term in the form of the German Super Cup and prolonged their perfect start to the Bundesliga campaign by demolishing a hapless Hamburg 5-0 on Saturday.
Despite missing out on a top-eight finish in last season’s league phase, Bayern navigated the first stage unbeaten at home and have now strung together a magnificent 34-game sequence without a Champions League league phase/group stage defeat at the Allianz Arena.
In fact, the last time Bayern lost a UCL league phase/group stage came in front of their own fans was in December 2013, when head coach Kompany was an unused substitute for a Manchester City side who prevailed 3-2 in Bavaria.
To make matters worse for Wednesday’s visitors, the Bundesliga champions have astonishingly won their first Champions League game of the season in each of the last 22 campaigns, most recently failing to do so against Deportivo la Coruna in 2002.
While Bayern have been ever-presents in the Champions League during the 21st century, Chelsea are making their return to the big time following a two-year exile from Europe’s top table, although that did not stop them from creating continental history a few months ago.
By thumping Real Betis in the Conference League final, the West London giants became the first side to win every single UEFA club competition, having also achieved Champions League, Europa League and UEFA Super Cup stardom under Enzo Maresca’s predecessors.
The Blues’ place in the Champions League was far from guaranteed on the Premier League’s final day, but taking down fellow top-five contenders Nottingham Forest punched their ticket to the 2025-26 tournament, which they enter boasting the Club World Cup champions label too.
However, Maresca’s men have been frustrated in two of their four London derbies to open the new top-flight campaign, most recently becoming the victims of the latest Brentford long-throw masterpiece in a 2-2 draw with the Bees on Saturday evening.
Chelsea may forever be able to shout about that night in Munich in 2012, but Bayern have since turned the tables with three straight wins over the Premier League powerhouses, whom they demolished 7-1 over two legs during the 2019-20 Champions League last 16.
Ex-Chelsea youngster Jamal Musiala – who spent eight years on the Blues’ books from 2011 to 2019 – will be watching on helplessly this week, as the Germany international is on the long road to recovery from the horrific leg and ankle break he suffered at the Club World Cup.
Musiala is joined in the infirmary by defenders Hiroki Ito (leg) and Alphonso Davies (knee), and Kompany’s left-back dilemma is now further complicated by a rib injury to Raphael Guerreiro, who was brought on at half time against Hamburg before having to come off again 17 minutes later.
Further forward, Nicolas Jackson is eligible to play against his parent club but will surely lose out to talisman Harry Kane, while Luis Diaz occupies the left-hand side after equalling a Bayern record by scoring in each of his first three Bundesliga appearances.
Musiala could have been playing the Cole Palmer role at Chelsea had he not left British shores as a teenager, and the latter is looking good for a start on Wednesday after coming off the bench to score in the four-goal stalemate with Brentford at the weekend.
However, the visitors are still missing Liam Delap (hamstring), Benoit Badiashile (unspecified), Romeo Lavia (unspecified), Dario Essugo (thigh) and the banned Mykhaylo Mudryk, while Estevao Willian will need a once-over due to illness. Facundo Buonanotte has been left out of Maresca’s league phase squad too.
The Chelsea boss may have sparked concern when he revealed that a not fully-fit Joao Pedro asked not to play at the weekend, but that did not stop the Brazilian registering his fifth Premier League goal contribution of the season in just four games; only Eden Hazard (three) has hit that mark in quicker time for the Blues.
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanisic; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Gnabry, Diaz; Kane
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro
Few gave Chelsea a hope of beating Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final, yet the Blues taught the European champions a footballing lesson, so Wednesday’s tie is not a foregone conclusion by any means.
However, keeping Bayern’s brilliant offensive unit at bay is an extremely tall order – especially at the Allianz Arena – and the Bundesliga champions have our vote to triumph in what ought to be an engrossing watch for the neutrals.
