Bayern Munich take on the visitors Chelsea in the round 1 match of UEFA Champions League group stage. The match will be played on Wednesday, September 17th at Allianz Arena, Munich.
Bayern Munich will clearly try to build on last season’s success. The Rekordmeister appointed Vincent Kompany as head coach in the summer of last year. He was not the most desired option, but the German giants had somehow finished the 2023/2024 campaign without a single trophy! The Belgian met the minimum objective by winning the Bundesliga convincingly. But in other tournaments, both in the domestic cup and the UEFA Champions League, they did not succeed. This season started with a win in the DFL-Supercup, where their new star signing Luis Díaz immediately showed his quality. Everyone understands, though, that this trophy is not taken too seriously (perhaps except by Harry Kane, who is still hungry for silverware), and few doubt they will retain the Meisterschale. So the Germans are expected to push for progress specifically in the newly starting Champions League. Bayern have also won their first three league matches, scoring ten goals in the process. Their attacking play has looked sharp and fluid, with Kane and Díaz already forming a promising partnership.
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Chelsea went through a tough period after the forced change of ownership. They clearly lost a couple of years, but Enzo Maresca, who arrived in 2024, almost achieved the maximum possible in his debut season. This included returning to the top four of the Premier League and converting their status as main favourites in the UEFA Europa Conference League into actually winning that European trophy. And as a “bonus”, they took the reformed FIFA Club World Cup title in the summer, crushing Paris Saint-Germain in the final. Now, though, the Blues are expected by default to compete only for serious and prestigious honours in 2024/2025. And despite being forced to sell many players, they were still active on the market, even right up to the deadline, when Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Buonanotte joined. Chelsea have started the new season with three straight wins, looking far more balanced than a year ago. Their defensive stability has improved significantly, keeping clean sheets in two of those matches.
The very first clash, back in 2005, was won by the English side. But the Bavarians were stronger in the return leg (though they still got eliminated) and in 4 of the next 5 meetings. The only other exception was the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, when Chelsea famously triumphed on penalties at the Allianz Arena. Kane and company are playing at home. We believe they can start their campaign with a win.
Prediction for the match: Bayern Munich to win.
