Bayern kick off Champions League with victory

FC Bayern got off to a winning start to the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League, beating Chelsea 3-1 on Wednesday night. Trevoh Chalobah put through his own goal and Harry Kane doubled Bayern’s lead before Cole Palmer pulled one back for Chelsea in the first half. Kane scored a third for Munich to put the game to bed in the second half.

Bayern lined up with Manuel Neuer in goal and Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah and Josip Stanišić in defence. Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović anchored a midfield featuring Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry and Luis Díaz, with Kane up front. Minjae Kim replaced Tah at half-time, with Sacha Boey, Leon Goretzka, Tom Bischof and Nicolas Jackson coming on for Stanišić, Pavlović, Gnabry and Kane in the second half.

Narrow lead

It was a high-octane encounter between two attack-minded sides and Laimer made a crucial early  block against Enzo Fernández, with Kane miscuing a header at the other end. Gnabry fired wide, but Bayern took the lead when Chalobah turned an Olise into his own goal.

Kane was upended in the box and converted the ensuing penalty to double the lead. Chelsea replied almost immediately, Palmer firing past Neuer to round off a counter. Laimer came close to restoring the advantage before Olise’s shot went just wide as Bayern were 2-1 up at half-time.

Kane seals it

Munich were dominant after the restart, with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez denying Díaz, Kane and Olise. Kane made it three for Bayern when he intercepted a ball and finished clinically after the hour mark. Olise dragged another shot just wide as Bayern exerted control on proceedings.

Olise saw another effort blocked and a Palmer volley went wide, with Alejandro Garnacho drawing a comfortable save from Neuer. Chelsea had the ball in the back of the net for a second time when Palmer slotted in, but the goal was chalked off for offside on review as Bayern opened their Champions League campaign with a win for the 22nd time in a row and lay down a marker against the Club World Cup winners.

The Bavarians will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to face Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen