Vincent Kompany explains 'hidden strength' of Chelsea, Harry Kane feels 'expectation' of UEFA Champions League success for Bayern Munich

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Bayern Munich host Chelsea as both teams get their UEFA Champions League campaigns underway in the league phase on Wednesday. You can watch all the action unfold on TNT Sports and discovery+. Ahead of the match in Germany, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany and striker Harry Kane sat down with TNT Sports to discuss the impact Enzo Maresca has had at Stamford Bridge and their hopes for the competition.

'The dream is very real' - Kompany and Bayern gunning for Champions League glory

Video credit: TNT Sports

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany thinks Chelsea’s youthful squad can be their "hidden strength" as they attempt to build on the success they’ve already enjoyed under Enzo Maresca.

The Premier League side travel to Germany to take on the Bundesliga champions in their opening match of the UEFA Champions League league phase, and you can watch the game live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Maresca inherited a bloated squad when he arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2024 but has fine-tuned his group in order to get them ready to compete against European football’s biggest clubs again.

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Last season’s UEFA Conference League winners have not been at Europe’s top table since the 2022/23 campaign but return with a good deal of confidence after winning the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States in the summer.

"I think Enzo’s done a terrific job," Kompany told TNT Sports.

"You always have to look back at what a team was like when the manager started and the question marks around the squad and the playing group.

"Of course, you invest because you expect results but at the end, it is what it is, it’s a young team. It’s a lot of talented players that had to come together and for them to be able to do it, it’s been a remarkable job.

'A remarkable job' - Bayern boss Kompany hails Maresca impact at Chelsea

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"When you look at Chelsea now, especially after the Club World Cup, I don’t think you make too much distinction between Chelsea and the absolute top teams in England, so they’re back there.

"The advantage you have with young players is that where they are today, tomorrow they’ll always be better. If they’ve got good habits, if they’ve got a good environment, that’s what happens with a top mindset.

"I think that’s the hidden strength of Chelsea, they’ve got a team that’s on a pathway that will keep going up. We’ve got the advantage, of course, of being at home and having a team with experience," he said.

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As for Bayern, they have fallen in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League for the last five seasons, having last won the competition in 2020.

They were eliminated by eventual runners-up Inter Milan in the quarter-finals last season and Kompany wants his team to push further this time around.

"The main thing for me is to see that against these teams we compete again and then just make sure the moments go our way and that we do get over the line and get those wins.

"It’s the beginning, no one is winning the Champions League tomorrow but it’s a good starting point."

Kane ready to climb 'mountain' to be champions of Europe

Bayern striker Harry Kane says simply competing in the UEFA Champions League is not enough for the German giants - they need to win it.

The England captain will come up against international teammates and former domestic rivals when Chelsea arrive in Bavaria.

Looking ahead to this season’s competition, Kane told TNT Sports: "I think the expectation - and, of course the hope - is always to win the Champions League.

"We have a good enough team, a good enough squad to be able to do that but, as we know, it’s difficult playing against the best teams in Europe throughout the whole season.

"We came close in my first season with Thomas [Tuchel] and now even last season was a disappointing way to go out against Inter Milan.

"Over the two legs we felt we done enough but in the moments, we didn’t take [chances], so it’s just about building on that and get one step further than we did last year and hopefully go all the way.

"It’s down to us. It’s a long mountain climb ahead so it’s just about trying to focus on this next league stage and trying to do the best in that."

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Chelsea could come up against a familiar face with Nicolas Jackson eligible to play, despite being on loan at Bayern from Stamford Bridge.

Kane is enjoying working with Jackson, as well as fellow new arrival Luis Diaz, who signed from Liverpool this summer.

Speaking about their fine start to the season, including three wins from three league matches, Kane said: "We’ve just built on what we done last year with the coach, with the boss, and obviously added Lucho [Diaz] this year.

"He’s been great. Great player to play with. He wants to affect the game, he wants to get assists, he wants to score."

Assessing Jackson’s impact since his move at the end of the transfer window, Kane said: "We’re just trying to make it as easy as we can for him right now.

"It takes a bit of time to learn how each other play but he shows a lot of great attributes that if we can get the best out of him, he’ll be a big help for us this year."

Watch and stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+

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