There’s a repeat of the 2012 Champions League final on Gameweek 1 of the league phase.
Chelsea have a tough first test in the 2025–26 Champions League, as they take on German champions Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night.
This fixture will forever be associated with the 2012 final, when the Blues staged a dramatic upset in Munich to win their first Champions League crown. Bayern have since dominated the head-to-head matchup, and the two teams are facing off for the first time since 2020 here.
While Vincent Kompany helped Die Roten reclaim their Bundesliga title last season, it’s typically their performance in Europe which measures the success of Bayern’s campaign. Few backed Kompany‘s side to conquer the continent for a seventh time, and they were knocked out by finalists Inter in the quarterfinals.
Two-time winners Chelsea are returning to Europe’s top table following a brief absence, with Enzo Maresca overseeing a fourth-place Premier League finish last term. The Blues have once again been busy in the transfer window, preparing their squad for a deep assault on multiple fronts, but they have their work cut out if they’re to advance straight into the round of 16, given the difficulty of their league phase draw.
Bayern Munich Team News
Raphaël Guerreiro suffered an abdominal injury at the weekend, ruling him out of Wednesday’s game, while Hiroki Ito is also sidelined for the hosts.
Nicolas Jackson is eligible to play despite joining Bayern on loan from Chelsea late in the summer window, but Harry Kane will start up top against the Blues.
Bayern Munich Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Bayern Munich predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanišić; Kimmich, Pavlović; Olise, Gnabry, Díaz; Kane.
Chelsea Team News
Maresca is currently dealing with a pretty lengthy injury list, but the Italian did welcome Cole Palmer back to the fold at the weekend, and the English playmaker swiftly scored off the bench upon his return.
Palmer is a lock to start as Chelsea’s No. 10 in Munich, as long as he is fit coming out of the Burnley tie.
João Pedro wasn‘t fully fit for Saturday’s game at Brentford, with Maresca revealing that the Brazilian asked not to play after returning from international duty. Estêvão, meanwhile, missed Chelsea’s 2–2 draw through illness but has been spotted in training ahead of their trip to Bayern.
Dário Essugo and Liam Delap are new long-term absentees, while Roméo Lavia and Benoît Badiashile are unlikely to make their returns to action on Wednesday.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Bayern Munich
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Estêvão, Palmer, Neto; Pedro.
Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
Chelsea proved at the Club World Cup that they can compete with Europe’s best, but they’ll have to produce a performance similar to their masterclass against the European champions if they’re to prevail in Munich.
Visiting teams are so often overawed when they visit the Allianz Arena, and while that shouldn‘t be an issue for this Chelsea side, the Blues are facing up against an in-form opponent.
Kompany’s Bayern have seemingly levelled up this term, and although this is their first major test of 2025–26, they look poised to send out a statement to the rest of the continent.
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