From the 70th minute, the Allianz Arena stands were filled with cheers for each pass from the home team, as an early celebration. Despite their best efforts, Chelsea's defense still collapsed at the right time when they needed to show their mettle. Harry Kane and his teammates did not miss the opportunity to seal a 3-1 victory for Bayern.
Most of the time, the match took place in an extremely tense atmosphere. Both teams chose an attacking style of play, accepting to trade risks to seek an advantage.
In front of the two owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly in the stands, Chelsea entered the match full of excitement, pressing continuously. This is reminiscent of their impressive performance against Paris Saint-Germain at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, with Malo Gusto given the right wing clearance.
Everything went well for The Blues until everything collapsed. And then Kane, along with a brilliant performance from Michael Olise, appeared in time to extinguish Chelsea's optimism. In the end, the day the Blues returned to the Champions League after two absences became a bitter memory.
Mistakes in defence have sunk Chelsea. Despite fierce pressing in the opponent's half, all 3 of their goals conceded came from defensive weakness. In the opening goal, Joshua Kimmich sent a pass to open up an opportunity for Olise. After a return shot with a cross-angle shot, the ball hit Trevoh Chalobah and became an own goal.
The second game further exposed the huge gap in the English team's lower division. Olise provided Kane, who easily overcame Moises Caicedo before being fouled in the box. On the 11m mark, Kane coolly increased the score to 2-0.
Chelsea rekindled hope thanks to Cole Palmer's special moment, ending a beautiful one-on-one coordination with gust.
However, this equalizer was just a little shining light. Enzo Maresca's side have been increasingly deadlocked, while tactical adjustments have been ineffective.
Bayern is the opposite. They completely controlled the game, and when Sanchez had just blocked Olise's shot, Kane immediately punished the next mistake. In the 63rd minute, after Gusto lost the ball in front of the penalty area, the English striker had a neat shot, raising the score to 3-1.
With 10 goals in 6 matches this season, Kane is maintaining an impressive performance. Although statistics have said many things, you have to witness how he creates a difference to clearly see his class.
The "Gray Tigers" continuously exploit the space between Reece James - who has been tested in the role of defensive midfielder - and Chelsea's defense. They patiently waited for the opportunity to launch the decisive three strikes.
The Blues entered this match with extreme optimism as they were the reigning world champions. But familiar mistakes recurred, similar to the draw with Brentford last weekend.
However, there is still hope for Maresca's team. Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are about to return to full fitness, while young talent Jorrel Hato promises to be an important factor when regaining form. James also needs to return to the right wing, instead of experimenting ineffectively in midfield.
Some other bright spots are also noteworthy, such as gust attacking excellently on the right wing, while Palmer proved his worth. Palmer's goal - a stunning one-touch shot into the top corner - showed him to be in better form, despite another goal being ruled out for offside.
Chelsea are still a team in the process of integrating and shaping the game. There is not much time left, and this defeat will be a valuable lesson for them to become stronger.
For Bayern, this was like a normal match. They have won all 4 matches at the beginning of the season, having just destroyed Hamburg 5-0 last weekend, despite a turbulent summer. The "Gray Tigers" have parted ways with Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman, Joao Palhinha and Mathys Tel, while welcoming Luis Diaz, Jonathan Tah and Tom Bischof.
For Chelsea, the urgent task is to overcome the gaps in the defense. As for Bayern, it is simply that they continue to do the familiar thing: win.
