Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea predictions: Who will win Cole Palmer vs. Harry Kane Champions League clash?

All 18 Champions League games in league phase matchweek one have the potential to be blockbuster affairs, but the main event will undoubtedly be fought at the Allianz Arena between Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich and Club World Cup champions Chelsea on Wednesday.

Believe it or not, it has been over 13 years since the Blues and the Bavarians contested the 2011-12 final at the Allianz Arena, where a Didier Drogba-inspired Chelsea side took down the German giants in their own backyard.

The two European powerhouses have each also claimed a top-level continental crown in the current decade, but despite Chelsea's status as world club champions, they may very well boast the underdogs label heading into Wednesday's battle.

Here, the Sports Mole team predicts who will win the mouthwatering Champions League showdown between Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Barney Corkhill, Editor - Bayern Munich

I am fascinated to see how Chelsea fare in this year's Champions League, and how it impacts their form in other competitions too.

Last season they were able to utilise their enormous squad by playing an entirely different team in most Conference League matches, but that won't fly in the Champions League, and there aren't many opening matches that will illustrate that more clearly than Bayern Munich away.

The fixture will immediately conjure memories of 2012 for Chelsea fans, but this time around I expect Bayern to come out on top.

The German giants have been scoring goals for fun in the opening weeks of the season - Harry Kane alone has eight in five games across all competitions - and they will always be among the names in the conversation to go all the way in the Champions League.

Chelsea may have won the FIFA Club World Cup during the summer, but the Champions League remains the true barometer of a European team's quality, and for me the Premier League side are still some way short of Bayern in that regard.

Matt Law, Football Editor - Bayern Munich

It has to be Bayern on home soil.

Kompany's side will enter the match off the back of an excellent performance against Hamburg, and they have been scoring goals for fun at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

Chelsea have also shown some positive signs this season, but the Blues were disappointing against Brentford last time out, and I'm finding it difficult to see anything other than a victory for the German champions.

Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter - Bayern Munich

Few gave Chelsea a hope of beating Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final, yet the Blues taught the European champions a footballing lesson, so Wednesday's tie is not a foregone conclusion by any means.

However, keeping Bayern's brilliant offensive unit at bay is an extremely tall order - especially at the Allianz Arena - and the Bundesliga champions have our vote to triumph in what ought to be an engrossing watch for the neutrals.

Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter - Bayern Munich

The beauty of the new Champions League format is that fans will see top teams lock horns more often and earlier in the competition, with Bayern Munich’s encounter against Chelsea - a repeat of the 2012 final - one mouthwatering clash taking place on matchday one.

Both teams have made unbeaten starts to their domestic campaigns, but Bayern have arguably looked stronger, especially in front of goal having already netted 19 times across their opening five competitive fixtures, including eight scored by star striker Harry Kane.

I can see both teams making the net ripple in this one, and while Chelsea have the potential to cause Bayern a few problems on the counter-attack, Vincent Kompany's side should have enough to edge past the Blues on home soil.

Byron David, Reporter - Bayern Munich

Bayern have started the season like a house on fire. They've won all five of the competitive fixtures they've been in this term already, while Chelsea's vulnerabilities were there for all to see on Saturday when they allowed Brentford to equalise in stoppage time. The Bavarians have also won their previous 18 opening fixtures in the Champions League, and they've beaten English opposition in eight of their last 10 attempts.

Chelsea's last victory at the Allianz Arena came in the final that they won in 2011-12, which was on penalties. It would take a serious miracle for the hosts to let this one slip, even without the presence of Musiala. The Blues could be staring down the barrel of defeat in a competition they've been away from for two years.

Babatunde Kolawole, Reporter - Bayern Munich

This is going to be a keenly-contested clash, but Bayern Munich might edge it in the end due to their superior firepower.

Anthony Brown, Reporter - Bayern Munich

This should excite Nicolas Jackson, who could make his Champions League debut against his parent club just two weeks after moving to Bavaria.

While Enzo Maresca is expected to have a plan to improve his team's prospects and target Bayern's weaknesses, Chelsea's inexperience at this level and a defensive line prone to lapses — especially with Wesley Fofana back in the team — suggest the West Londoners may be overwhelmed by the six-time European champions at the Allianz Arena.

Anthony Nolan, Reporter - Bayern Munich

Bayern may have lost Jamal Musiala to injury this summer, but they have started the campaign with five wins from five games, netting 14 goals across their three Bundesliga matches so far.

On the other hand, while Chelsea are also unbeaten this term, they have been inconsistent - drawing against Crystal Palace and Brentford - and they could find the Bavarians' offensive prowess to be too much to handle.