Vincent Kompany’s Bayern have started the season with real intent, while Chelsea remain unbeaten but have already been held to two derby draws in the Premier League.
For Bayern, the wait to lift the Champions League trophy again feels longer than it should. Their last triumph came in 2020 against Paris Saint-Germain in an empty stadium, and since then they have suffered four quarter-final exits and one semi-final disappointment. They did get a measure of revenge on Chelsea by beating them in the Club World Cup earlier this year, and as usual, their dominance at home shows no sign of fading.
Five Bundesliga matches have brought five wins, including a 5-0 demolition of Hamburg last weekend. They have already added the German Super Cup to the cabinet and look well on course for another glittering domestic campaign.
Europe has also been a fortress for Kompany’s men. Bayern have not lost a Champions League home group-stage match since December 2013, when Kompany himself was an unused substitute for Manchester City in a 3-2 win in Bavaria. That unbeaten streak now stretches to 34 games. They also boast a remarkable record of winning their opening Champions League fixture in each of the last 22 seasons, with the last failure dating all the way back to 2002 against Deportivo La Coruña.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are back on the Champions League stage after a two-year absence. They made history in Europe last season by thrashing Real Betis in the Conference League final, becoming the first club to win every major UEFA competition. Their qualification for this year’s tournament went right down to the wire, but victory over Nottingham Forest on the Premier League’s final day secured their spot.
Enzo Maresca’s side has already shown flashes of promise, but inconsistency remains. Two London derbies have ended in frustration, the latest being a 2-2 draw at Brentford after falling victim to the Bees’ trademark long throw.
Chelsea will always cherish their night of glory in Munich back in 2012, but since then Bayern have held the upper hand. The German champions have beaten Chelsea in their last three meetings, including a ruthless 7-1 aggregate victory in the 2019-20 last 16.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Former Chelsea prospect Jamal Musiala, who spent eight years in the Blues academy between 2011 and 2019, will be forced to watch from the sidelines this week. The Germany international is still recovering from the serious leg and ankle injury he suffered at the Club World Cup.Bayern’s treatment room is busy. Defenders Hiroki Ito and Alphonso Davies are also unavailable with leg and knee problems, while Raphael Guerreiro added to the list when he came off against Hamburg just 17 minutes after being introduced at half time with a rib issue.
In attack, Nicolas Jackson is eligible to face his parent club but is unlikely to dislodge Harry Kane at centre forward. Luis Díaz is set to continue on the left after matching a Bayern record by scoring in each of his first three Bundesliga matches.
Musiala might have been playing a role similar to Cole Palmer had he stayed at Chelsea as a teenager. Palmer is pushing for a start on Wednesday after coming off the bench to score in the 2-2 draw with Brentford at the weekend.
Chelsea, though, have plenty of absentees of their own. Liam Delap is sidelined with a hamstring problem, while Benoît Badiashile, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo are all nursing injuries. Mykhaylo Mudryk is suspended, Estevão Willian will be assessed after illness, and Facundo Buonanotte was left out of Maresca’s squad for the group stage.
There was a brief scare when Enzo Maresca admitted João Pedro had asked not to play last weekend due to fitness concerns. Even so, the Brazilian still made his mark, recording his fifth Premier League goal contribution of the campaign in just four appearances. Only Eden Hazard has reached that tally for Chelsea in fewer games.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
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
EXPERT PREDICTION
Bayern 2-2 Chelsea
Very few people expected Chelsea to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final, yet the Blues stunned the European champions with a statement performance. That result is a reminder that Wednesday’s contest is far from predictable.
Even so, containing Bayern’s attacking firepower at the Allianz Arena is a huge challenge. The Bundesliga champions look well equipped to come out on top, though the match should provide a fascinating spectacle for neutral supporters.
