Harry Kane Double Sinks Chelsea As Bayern Cruise To Champions League Victory
2 min read
By Sportsgister
Harry Kane’s ruthless finishing made the difference as Bayern Munich overpowered Chelsea 3-1 at the Allianz Arena in their UEFA Champions League opener on Tuesday night.
The England captain struck twice – including a decisive second-half goal – to hand Bayern the perfect start, while Cole Palmer’s thunderous first-half strike proved only a consolation for the returning Blues.
Back in the Champions League after more than two years, Enzo Maresca’s youthful Chelsea side showed bravery and ambition against the German champions. For long spells of the first half, the Londoners pressed aggressively and created chances, with Enzo Fernández and Marc Cucurella coming close.
Palmer, restored to the right wing, was Chelsea’s livewire, constantly troubling Bayern’s backline and combining well with Fernández, who was pushed further upfield to exploit his vision.
Yet Bayern’s greater experience at this level told. In the 20th minute, Serge Gnabry breezed past Joao Pedro and whipped in a cross that Trevoh Chalobah accidentally bundled into his own net. Minutes later, Moises Caicedo clumsily fouled Kane inside the box, and the striker calmly converted the penalty to double Bayern’s lead.
Chelsea responded immediately, showing character rather than crumbling under the pressure. Palmer led the charge, cutting through Bayern’s midfield before exchanging passes with Malo Gusto and rifling a stunning finish into the top corner to make it 2-1.
Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez then produced two brilliant saves – first from Kane at the near post, then with a flying one-handed stop to deny Michael Olise – to keep Chelsea in the contest.
But Bayern’s attacking quality shone through again after the hour mark. Gnabry slipped Kane in behind the Chelsea defence, and the forward opened his body before slotting a composed finish low into the far corner to restore Bayern’s two-goal cushion.
Chelsea continued to push, but inexperience and missed opportunities ultimately cost them. Despite the defeat, Maresca’s young squad left Munich with credit for their courage and intent, though the harsh lessons of elite European football were clear.
Sedara Philip is a Sports writer, an administrator,Journalist,and editor
