Chelsea forward Cole Palmer has insisted that the Blues are not in the UEFA Champions League merely to “gain experience,” despite falling 3-1 to Bayern Munich in their group-stage opener at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, September 16.
It was Chelsea’s first Champions League appearance since April 2023, and while the squad showed flashes of promise, Bayern’s ruthless efficiency exposed the gulf in European experience between the two sides.
Palmer, who scored Chelsea’s only goal on the night, made it clear that the team’s ambitions remain high:
“We are not coming here for it to be a learning curve. We have shown tonight we want to compete and we want to do as best as we can.”
Head coach Enzo Maresca expressed disappointment at the costly defensive errors but urged his young side to take the setback as a learning opportunity:
“You cannot commit mistakes in the way we have done, but I just said to the players, it’s a game that we can learn a lot from, and build something special from this defeat.”
Chelsea missed early chances through Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez, before conceding an own goal from Trevoh Chalobah. Harry Kane added Bayern’s second from the spot after Moises Caicedo’s foul, and though Palmer briefly restored hope, Malo Gusto’s error gifted Kane his second to seal the result.
For Bayern, it marked an extraordinary milestone — their 22nd consecutive Champions League opening win — a testament to their experience at the highest level.
Former Chelsea star Pat Nevin was not surprised by the outcome. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he explained:
“The jump you need to do to come to places like this is quite big and several players just don’t have that experience yet. They weren’t able to do it as a group today.”
Despite the defeat, Palmer’s fighting words reflect Chelsea’s determination not to be written off in this year’s competition.
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