Harry Kane produced a match-winning performance to lead Bayern Munich to a 3-1 win over Chelsea at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.
Trevoh Chalobah’s own goal and a Harry Kane spot-kick put the six-time champions in control, although Cole Palmer lashed a shot into the top corner to pull one back for Chelsea just before the half-hour mark.
But Bayern ensured Chelsea’s first match in the competition since 2023 would end in defeat.
Chelsea wing-back Malo Gusto inadvertently played the ball to Kane who gleefully accepted the gift with a cool finish to effectively kill off Chelsea in the 63rd minute.
“A great result,” Kane told DAZN. “It was a strong performance against a very good opponent.”
Inter Milan, who were humbled 5-0 in last season’s final by PSG, started their league-phase campaign with a 2-0 away win against Ajax.
Marcus Thuram put the visitors ahead in Amsterdam by heading Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner past Vitezslav Jaros.
The second goal was almost a carbon copy, Thuram meeting another Calhanoglu corner less than two minutes into the second half.
Earlier, Bodo/Glimt marked their debut in the Champions League proper by coming back from two goals down late on to draw 2-2 at Slavia Prague.
Youssoupha Mbodji’s first goals for Slavia had the Czechs set for victory with less than 15 minutes remaining.
But Daniel Bassi got Norwegians Bodo/Glimt back into the game before Sondre Brunstad Fet crashed in a magnificent 90th-minute volley.
Cypriot club Pafos, playing in the tournament for the first time just 11 years since being founded, claimed a goalless draw at Olympiakos despite seeing wing-back Bruno sent off and veteran centre-half David Luiz hobble off injured in the first half.
