Harry Kane bags brace as Chelsea beaten by Bayern Munich in Champions League

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 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.

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 play-off round a little over a year ago but there was little sense their rapid elevation had unsettled Chelsea.

Here they were bold enough to take Bayern on and try to play through them on their own patch, undone in the end only by callowness that gave an edge to seasoned opposition. Chelsea’s young squad have learned fast in 12 months and must do so again if they are to go far in this competition.

They had begun determined to make up for their time spent away. Palmer’s low cross was taken up by Enzo Fernandez, who was dispossessed by Konrad Laimer before he could shoot, then Marc Cucurella headed Moises Caicedo’s floated ball wide.

Chelsea looked a ready danger to Bayern with Palmer restored to the team on the right wing and clearly unnerving the home side, with Fernandez moved up the pitch to number 10 to make maximal use of his final ball.

Yet Bayern’s XI had by far the greater