Every Chelsea fan remembers where they were in May 2012. The Blues overcame the odds to beat Bayern Munich in Munich to claim the Champions League.
Few gave them a snowball’s chance in hell at claiming silverware. They’ll return for Bavaria for their first Champions League outing in over two years in midweek, and will hope for a better showing this time around.
Chelsea lost their last trip to Bayern, falling to a 4-1 loss in 2020 as a Robert Lewandowski-inspired showing saw the German side ease to victory. Current Bayern boss Vincent Kompany has another world class hitman to lead the line this time. Harry Kane.
- Fantastic Promotions
- Fun Social Media Content
- New Bookmaker
#AD 18+ *New customers only. Bet £5+ in a single real-money bet within 7 days of registration to receive £20 in Free Bets and 2 Rocket Odds Boosts, credited within 24 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Free Bets and Rocket Odds Boosts expire 7 days after credit. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. 18+. Gambleaware.org
The England skipper has been predictably excellent in Bayern’s flying start to the season. Kompany’s men have won five games to kick off the campaign. And those playing supportive roles to Kane have also excelled. Serge Gnabry has deputised well at No.10 in the absence of compatriot Jamal Musiala, who remains sidelined until later this year.
However, it’s Bayern’s wide pair that have really caught the eye in the opening weeks, and the duo are the ones that the Blues need to be wary of. Luis Diaz has made a solid start to life in Germany, but the star wide man for Kompany’s side is former Crystal Palace hero Michael Olise.
Chelsea must have watched Olise’s start to life in Germany and be wondering what could have been. The Frenchman spent seven years in Chelsea academy as a youngster, but left when he was 14. Chelsea then courted Olise in 2023, only for a deal to fall through. Olise remained at Selhurst Park for another season before moving to Bayern last year. And the rest, as they say, is history.
In this article, we’ll cover
Michael Olise’s start to the season
To their credit, failure to sign Olise eventually took Chelsea to Cole Palmer. And the former Manchester City man has been a revelation for the Blues. Even so, Olise has taken his game to another level with Bayern. The France international has three goals and one assist to his name in the 2025-26 Bundesliga this season. And no player in Germany’s top flight has completed more take-ons than the 23-year-old’s nine.
For a Bayern side that has predominately favoured the right side to attack in 2025-26, Kompany is likely to task Olise with putting the Blues backline on the backfoot. Chelsea may have only conceded three goals in the Premier League this season, but two came against Brentford on Saturday to throw away three points in an eventual 2-2 draw. In Chelsea’s first trip outside of London this season, Enzo Maresca will demand a much-improved defensive display in Bavaria.
The primary issue will be where to focus their efforts on containing this Bayern attack line. Olise and Diaz are two direct wingers, who will also look to cut infield as they go for goal. With Kane willing to drop deep to link up play and open up space to be exploited by the dynamic duo, Chelsea really need to keep their wits about them to avoid a Bavarian blowout.
Is it possible to stop Olise?
This’ll require central midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo to put in a shift at the base of Maresca’s favoured 4-2-3-1 setup and increase the possibility of Chelsea sitting a little deeper in order to frustrate their German opponents. This in itself, though, may just play into Olise’s hands. He’s a player who loves to operate in the little pockets of space that crop up between the opposition lines, using his trickery and quick-thinking to good effect rather than relying heavily on space to run into.
Take the weekend’s 5-0 win over Hamburg. Merlin Polzin’s side were dominated from start to finish and sat incredibly deep as they looked to catch Bayern on the counter. Even then, Bayern eased to victory, with Olise on hand to complete three take-ons. He wasn’t dispossessed once, further outlining his effectiveness even as teams seek to take the sting out of the game against the German giants.
Why Chelsea should avoid sitting deep
With the likes of Diaz, Kane and, perhaps crucially, Olise on the books, teams are unlikely to remain steadfast against Bayern before the floodgates open. Hamburg, after all, held out for just three minutes at the weekend, while Bayern were four goals to the good by the half hour mark.
It’s a lesson for Maresca, then, that he needs to potentially resist the temptation to sit back in a bid to soak up pressure and hit Bayern on the counter. He is expected to bring Marc Cucurella back into the fold this week, the Spaniard having dropped out of the side for Jorrel Hato on Saturday night with one eye on Wednesday’s game at the Allianz Arena, and the former Brighton man certainly boasts the knowhow to keep Olise in check.
Even if Maresca opts to give Olise the special treatment in Munich, he’s clever enough, and certainly good enough, to wriggle his way out of tight situations to hurt the Blues. Chelsea’s dream signing back in 2023 could well be the one to give them nightmares at the Allianz Arena in midweek.