It may be a push to call a 3-0 loss a “thumping” but Chelsea’s loss to Bayern tonight may be the closest thing to it.
There will naturally be an inquest after the loss effectively ends their Champions League run for this year, but it’s important not to get too carried away.
READ MORE: “Better bosses have been sacked for less”: These Chelsea fans ponder Lampard’s future after Bayern Munich defeat
It’s a first taste in the competition as a manager for Frank Lampard and also for many of his players, so the main thing here is to learn from the defeat and build towards next season.
Lampard gave his thoughts after the game, and it seems only one of his players was singled out for praise:
Lampard says Kovacic was the only Chelsea player who performed with the quality and personality that suggests he could play in any team #CHEBAY
— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) February 25, 2020
At his best the Croatian really can be a driving force from midfield and he does look like a complete player, but this also suggests that other players will really need to step it up.
The return leg may seem like a foregone conclusion, but the players need to see it as a chance to impress. Chelsea can buy players again now so you have to think there will be departures, so playing well in Germany could go a long way to securing a place in the squad for next season.