Pep Guardiola inherited a wonderful Bayern Munich team that won the treble last year, a team that basically won every competition of importance that they played in last season and, therefore, there is only one place that Bayern can go from that, down! It was always going to be a tough job to come in and take over Bayern Munich with the lofty expectations that accompany a manager like Guardiola, considering the success he has already had at Barcelona. But to come to Bayern after Jupp Heynckes had led them to the promised land of the Champions League, Cup and League treble, well that is just a really difficult act to follow. Munich as a team have some wonderful footballers, with Robben, Ribery, Mandzukich, Muller, Schweinsteiger among the best at their positions in the world. The off-season additions of Goetze and Thiago have already strenghtened a strong hand, although the later was hurt at the weekend and will miss 6-8weeks. Munich have started the season well, winning three of four and only conceding 2 goals along the way, and will look at this game as a good chance to test themselves against one of Europe's best. In fact, the team that beat Munich in the 2012 Champions League final in Bayern's home ground, I'm sure there will still be some soreness attached to Bayern for that defeat
Chelsea went out and got themselves a manager in the off season, "the Special one" has returned and has brought his own style back to England, which has been sorely missed in the time he has been away. Jose Mourhino, while in Spain, had a running feud with Pep Guardiola, who was manager of Barcelona so it will be interesting to see how both managers approach this game. Neither will want to lose to the other and that is for certain. Chelsea come into this game on the back of a good draw away to Manchester United, but overall the start to the Premier League season has not been all that impressive for Chelsea. The team look disjointed and are playing with no realy fluidity and seem to lack a focal point up front, with Mourhino prefering to play no real striker against United last weekend. With a panel of superstars in Torres, Mata, Hazard, Lampard and Terry, along with new additions Schurrle, Willian and possibly ex-Barcelona striker Samuel Eto (who is rumoured to be close to agreeing terms with Chelsea), there is no shortage of talent in this squad of players, but there is more chance that their manager will employ a defensive approach than go out all guns blazing
Every year, this game see's the winner of the Champions League face-off against the winner of the Europa League, but there is so much more to this years game, we have the two teams that contested the 2012 Champions League final, in which Chelsea won the trophy on Bayern Munich's home ground, and we have two managers, Guardiola and Mourhino, who dont like each other and are new in their respective positions. It all points to a really interesting affair. This one is a tough call, but I'm going to take Chelsea with a goal headstart. I think this one should be a coinflip and the bookies make Bayern favourites, but I have a feeling this one ends in a draw , I'm taking Chelsea +1, though, as I feel the blues will make it extremely hard for Bayern to break them down and Chelsea are experts at playing on the break
