Sabasports Match Preview
UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich vs Chelsea
Kickoff Time: 2025-09-18 03:00 (HKT)
Source: REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
This season, Bayern Munich has started with five consecutive wins across all competitions, making them the only team in the Bundesliga to maintain a perfect record, demonstrating excellent form. In last weekend’s league match, the team secured a 5-0 victory at home against Hamburg SV. During the game, Harry Kane contributed two goals and one assist, currently leading the Bundesliga top scorer list with five goals. Nicolas Jackson, who joined Chelsea as a center-forward at the deadline, also came on as a substitute, recording 25 touches and covering a distance of 5.21 kilometers, showing plenty of initiative. Luis Diaz, the most expensive signing in the Bundesliga transfer market this summer, has scored in each of the first three league games, seamlessly integrating into the team’s tactics. Recent matches have seen Bayern display fluid attacking combinations, with Kane adapting his playing style to participate more in midfield link-up play. For instance, in his second goal last weekend, the move involved initiating the attack, transitioning through the midfield, receiving a cross from Michael Olise, controlling the ball, evading defenders, and finishing decisively. Since joining Bayern, Kane’s football intelligence has visibly improved.
Chelsea is the newly crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions. After spending €336 million in the summer transfer window, they were expected to be significantly stronger. Unfortunately, their league start has been shaky, with only two wins and two draws. In the last league match, they were held to a draw by a rebuilding Brentford side. This summer, Chelsea signed five forwards, but only Joao Pedro has managed to score so far. In their last league game, the team registered 16 shots but converted only two into goals, highlighting their poor attacking efficiency. Clearly, Chelsea’s offensive rebuild has not gone as planned. Additionally, several key players are not in top form, including midfield duo Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer. The former made three mistakes in last weekend’s match, while the latter made two. Reducing errors in their away game against Bayern will be a top priority for coach Enzo Maresca. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea is likely to adopt a similar approach to last season, acting as the underdog in high-stakes matches by conceding possession and relying on quick counter-attacks from their wing-backs.
In terms of the market value of their starting lineups, there is little difference between the two teams. However, Bayern holds a slight edge in terms of integrating new signings. From a tactical perspective, Chelsea’s midfield and forward players are relatively shorter in stature, while Bayern has always excelled in set-piece situations. It is likely that aerial duels will be a decisive factor in this match. Last season, for example, Bayern scored 13 headed goals, the highest in the Bundesliga. Facing a Chelsea side not at their best, Bayern is expected to seize the opportunity to secure all three points.
Bayern Munich‘s Last 5 Games: WWWWW
25-09-14 Bayern Munich 5-0 Hamburger SV
25-08-31 Augsburg 2-3 Bayern Munich
25-08-28 Wehen Wiesbaden 2-3 Bayern Munich
25-08-23 Bayern Munich 6-0 RB Leipzig
25-08-17 VfB Stuttgart 1-2 Bayern Munich
Chelsea’s Last 5 Games: DWWDW
25-09-14 Brentford 2-2 Chelsea
25-08-30 Chelsea 2-0 Fulham
25-08-23 West Ham United 1-5 Chelsea
25-08-17 Chelsea 0-0 Crystal Palace
25-08-10 Chelsea 4-1 AC Milan
Head-To-Head Record
20-08-09 Bayern Munich 4-1 Chelsea
20-02-26 Chelsea 0-3 Bayern Munich
17-07-25 Chelsea 2-3 Bayern Munich
13-08-31 Bayern Munich 1-1 Chelsea (ET 1-1 PEN 5-4)
12-05-20 Bayern Munich 1-1 Chelsea (ET 0-0, PEN 3-4)
Prediction: Bayern Munich to win