Ending their two and a half 12 months absence from Europe’s greatest events, Chelsea journey to Bayern Munich in curious standing. Few would rank them alongside their hosts within the internal circle of Champions League contenders, however Enzo Maresca’s facet won’t be able to border this season as a studying train. They might be younger, however as stadium announcers shall be telling Stamford Bridge for the subsequent 4 years, they’re champions of the world. Ought to that not include a level of expectation?
In spite of everything, in lifting that title, they obliterated the Champions League holders. The three-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain was undoubtedly the best hour of Maresca’s tenure, certainly of the complete post-Roman Abramovich period. Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have requested a fanbase inculcated on instant success to take the good distance spherical. MetLife could possibly be an indication of endurance rewarded. Or it could possibly be a freak recreation on the finish of an exhausting season, a match the place Chelsea began brilliantly and half an hour in PSG concluded that that they had achieved sufficient in 2024-25.
In spite of everything, scrub that sensible closing from the report, and what did west London’s most interesting obtain of their month stateside? They comfortably beat U.S. and Tunisian opposition, nearly received the higher of Brazilian opposition two instances out of three and overcame Benfica in further time. None of that’s of a mode with the workforce who smashed previous PSG, nor does it scream Champions League contender.
Given the squad overhaul that Chelsea conduct on a biennial foundation, it feels there are treasured few knowledge factors to evaluate how this workforce holds up towards Europe’s elite. It is not just like the Convention League provided a lot past the spectacle of nine-figure squads exhibiting Armenia’s second-best workforce what’s what.
Six video games towards Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis final season introduced a win and a draw, and that sole victory was when the Reds have been coasting via their title celebrations. Once more, although, just like the PSG recreation it occurred and it was extraordinarily spectacular, Enzo Fernandez firing his facet into an early ascendancy from which they managed proceedings even with out dominating possession. That confirmed some progress from the workforce who received out in entrance towards Metropolis in January and appeared to haven’t any sense of what to do with their lead. Throughout six video games towards the highest three final season, Chelsea produced 8.84 anticipated targets (xG) and gave up 8.52. Outcomes won’t have gone their method however possibly there was an opportunity to get extra in these video games.
Possibly appears to be the working phrase round Chelsea proper now. Possibly they’ve improved their attacking starters in swapping in Estevao and Joao Pedro for Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson, the latter more likely to be on the bench behind Harry Kane when Bayern Munich welcome the Blues to the Allianz Enviornment. Their first 4 league video games have you ever considering that possibly they’d be in a worse place however for some very favorable VAR calls or that possibly a workforce with a plus-one xG distinction per recreation may push fairly excessive in what may be an underwhelming title race.
What is for certain is that Chelsea did hit that peak in New York/New Jersey, flying out of the traps with such pressure that they shunted PSG off their axis. Take that commonplace of efficiency and ship it all through the league part and maybe the world champions shall be within the combine so as to add extra continental honors to their trophy cupboard.
How one can watch Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea, odds
- Date: Wednesday, Sep. 17 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Allianz Enviornment — Munich, Germany
- Stay stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Bayern Munich -154; Draw +320; Chelsea +350
Potential lineups
Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer; Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, Josip Stanisic; Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic; Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, Luis Diaz; Harry Kane
Chelsea: Robert Sanchez; Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Estevao, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto; Joao Pedro
