Harry Kane scored twice as Chelsea fell to a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
On their return to the Champions League for the first time in nearly two and a half years, Enzo Maresca’s side contributed to a wonderful showcase of ambitious and highly proactive football.
They had been the better team in the first half when they were suddenly hit by two Bayern goals in seven minutes, a Trevoh Chalobah’a own goal and a Kane penalty.
It was a measure of their determination not to let the occasion pass them by that Chelsea stuck back within two minutes, Cole Palmer rifling into the top corner with a finish worthy of a diverting first half.
ESPN reports that Kane restored the two-goal lead just past the hour as Bayern’s greater quality finally put down the Blues’ wily resistance.
Maresca had made the point his team were playing in the Conference League playoff round a little over a year ago, but there was little sense their rapid elevation had unsettled Chelsea.
