Bayern Munich will start their bid for a seventh UEFA Champions League/European Cup trophy with a home match against FIFA Club World Cup champions Chelsea on Wednesday (kick-off: 9pm CEST).
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5 reasons why Bayern will beat Chelsea!
Bayern's impressive start to the campaign showed no signs of slowing down as they made it three Bundesliga wins from three in their 5-0 thrashing of Hamburg on Saturday.
The Bavarians also won their DFB Cup first-round match and defeated VfB Stuttgart to win the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup.
While Michael Olise and new signing Luis Díaz have impressed in the season's early weeks, Harry Kane remains Bayern's star man, netting a brace versus HSV to take his 2025/26 tally to eight goals.
He will lead the line once more here, with Nicolas Jackson ready to pounce against his parent club should he be required.
Bayern are still without Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies, and Raphaël Guerreiro went off injured at the weekend, but otherwise Vincent Kompany will have a full squad to choose from.
As such, midfielder Tom Bischof could make his UEFA Champions League bow, whether selected from the start or from the bench, while defender Jonathan Tah is expected to play his first game in the competition for his new club.
Chelsea head to Munich having followed up their Club World Cup win with an unbeaten start to the English Premier League campaign, although they missed the chance to move second in the table as they conceded deep into injury time in their 2-2 draw with Brentford at the weekend.
Cole Palmer came on from the bench and scored in that one after recovering from injury and should play from the off in the Bavarian capital.
João Pedro has arguably been his team's leading player in the season's opening weeks, scoring twice and providing three assists.
Bayern will also come up against a familiar face in Jamie Gittens, who moved to London from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
Watch: Kane in the zone at Bayern
Match stats
Bayern won the last of their six Champions League titles in 2019/20, recording a 7-1 aggregate win over Chelsea along the way (round of 16).
Kane has scored 19 goals in 25 Champions League appearances for Bayern.
Díaz has only failed to register a goal involvement in one of his five competitive outings as a Bayern player.
Jackson scored three goals in as many Conference League games last season, but has yet to play in the Champions League.
Bayern have won three of five Champions League meetings with Chelsea. Their only defeat was in the 2011/12 final (on penalties).
Gittens made 76 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund. He faced Bayern three times (W1, D1, L1), scoring in a 2-2 draw last season.
Probable teams
Bayern: Neuer (c) - Laimer, Tah, Upamecano, Stanišić - Kimmich, Goretzka - Olise, Gnabry, Díaz - Kane
Out: Guerreiro (stomach), Musiala (ankle), Davies (cruciate)
Doutbful: -
Coach: Vincent Kompany
Chelsea: Sánchez - James (c), Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella - Fernández, Caicedo - Neto, Palmer, Gittens - Pedro
Out: Essugo (thigh), Delap (hamstring), Colwill (cruciate)
Doubtful: Badiashile (muscle), Lavia (muscle), Estêvão (ill)
Coach: Enzo Maresca
LIVE blog
2:31
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#### Watch: The best of Luis DíazEnjoy the best of Luis Díaz during his time at Bayern Munich so far.
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#### Perfect preparationWith three wins from three in the league and with 14 goals scored already, Bayern have made a dream start to the 2025/26 season. Their most recent victory saw them put five past Hamburg, four of which came before half-time.
© IMAGO/Midori Ikenouchi/Hasan Bratic/DeFodi Images
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#### Bayern Munich 5-0 HamburgA Harry Kane double and further strikes from Serge Gnabry, Aleksandar Pavlović and Luis Díaz helped Bayern to a one-sided win against HSV.#### Welcome!
Welcome along to live coverage of Bayern Munich's opening match of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League season against Chelsea.