Cole Palmer voiced his frustration after Chelsea’s return to the Champions League was spoiled by costly errors in their 3–1 defeat to Bayern Munich.
Trevoh Chalobah’s own goal, a penalty conceded by Moises Caicedo and a slip from Malo Gusto handed Harry Kane two goals at the Allianz Arena, despite Palmer’s impressive strike offering the Blues hope.
«We played well and proved we belong here,» Palmer said. «But all three goals were down to us. We had chances and deserved more. Early on we could have scored, but when you make mistakes at the back it’s always hard to recover. It came down to concentration and not managing key moments. Still, we showed we can face the best.»
Palmer insisted Chelsea are not treating the competition as a learning experience, adding: «We want to compete, not just take part.»
Manager Enzo Maresca also expressed anger at a refereeing decision, arguing that Bayern’s Jonathan Tah should have been dismissed for fouling Joao Pedro off the ball after 29 minutes.
«Why is that not a red card?» Maresca asked. «The referee said it was not aggressive enough. So you need to see blood before showing red? For me, it was a red card. He could easily have judged it differently.»
Kursiv also reports that Juventus staged a dramatic comeback in their Champions League opener on September 16, drawing 4-4 at home to Borussia Dortmund after a stoppage-time surge inspired by substitute Dusan Vlahovic.
