Champions League
2025-09-17 - Bayern Munich vs Chelsea
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Champions League
Wednesday 17th September 2025 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Bayern Munich
Vincent Kompany was coming into a 'good' situation with Bayern Munich having taken over a club that had failed to win any silverware in the previous campaign. Once again Bayern Munich are German Champions, but there will be some pressure on the relatively inexperienced manager to push Bayern Munich further along in the Champions League.
Last season they were beaten in a close tie by eventual Runners Up Inter Milan in the Quarter Final, but it had been a mixed campaign for Bayern Munich who failed to finish in the top eight of the new League Phase format. The Bavarian giants were also beaten in the Club World Cup Quarter Final by the other club to reach the Champions League Final, European Champions Paris Saint-Germain, while Bayern Munich's 22 game unbeaten run at home in the Champions League was ended by Inter Milan in that Quarter Final defeat.
Bayern Munich have added the German Super Cup to the trophy cabinet and have won all 5 games played this season in all competitions, while scoring at least twice in each of those wins. They will be chasing a fifth straight home win going back to last season and Bayern Munich have recorded a 6-0 and 5-0 win over Leipzig and Hamburg respectively this season.
Raphael Guerreiro has to be considered a doubt for this game. Nicolas Jackson was desperate to leave Chelsea and join Bayern Munich and is eligible to play, but should only be a substitute.
Chelsea
A late goal looked to have turned things around in Chelsea's favour in the West London derby at Brentford on Saturday, but they could not hold on through injury time in an eventual 2-2 draw. One positive was the return of Cole Palmer, and Chelsea fans are also looking forward to returning to the Champions League for the first time since losing to Real Madrid in the Quarter Final in 2023.
Not only do Chelsea return as Conference League holders, but they won the new World Club Cup and so the expectations around Enzo Maresca and his squad have been raised. The Blues have not made the perfect start domestically as they have already fallen 4 points behind Champions Liverpool, but this is a young group and the European success of last season gives them something to build upon.
Chelsea are unbeaten in 9 games in all competitions and they have won 6 of those, although already have been held to draws twice in 4 Premier League games this season. The draw at the Gtech Community Stadium means Chelsea have lost 1 of their last 8 away games in all competitions.
Enzo Maresca has told the press that Joao Pedro did not want to play on Saturday at Brentford and the striker could be dropped to the bench for this one. Cole Palmer came off the bench to score the equaliser, but is another that may not be risked from the start with big Premier League games coming up.
Head to Head
Bayern Munich did the double over Chelsea in the Champions League Last 16 in 2019/20, which included a thumping home win.
However, the most famous meeting in this Stadium came in the 2012 Champions League Final when Chelsea somehow weathered a huge Bayern Munich storm to win a Penalty Shoot Out.
Prediction
Early injuries are causing some selection headaches for both Vincent Kompany and Enzo Maresca in the build up to this Champions League opener.
The Bundesliga is clearly not as strong a Division from top to bottom compared with the Premier League, but Bayern Munich are an elite European club and they can use home advantage to earn the three points.
Last season they won 5 of the 7 home games played in the Champions League and it feels like they could have the more settled team.
Chelsea will have been stunned by Brentford's late equaliser on Saturday and there are some doubts about key players like Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro. A big game at Old Trafford is just days away and it could mean Chelsea are more likely to rotate their starting eleven and perhaps even go into this match with a false nine system if Pedro asks to be left out again.
They do face plenty of tough challenges domestically, but Chelsea have not played Champions League Football for two seasons.
Winning the Club World Cup will help the confidence and belief, but Chelsea were perhaps beneficiaries of an 'easy' pathway through the competition. They did beat Paris Saint-Germain, but the European Champions had faced Bayern Munich and Real Madrid compared with Chelsea beating Palmeiras and Fluminense and that was perhaps a contributing factor in the Final.
Heading to Bavaria to face the hosts is a huge test for any club and Bayern Munich have started the season well enough to believe they can edge to the victory.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Bayern Munich 2-1 Chelsea
