In the 28th minute, Chelsea launched a counter-attack. As his teammates moved forward, Joao Pedro clashed with Tah near the center circle. The Bayern defender appeared to strike Pedro in the face, leaving him on the ground in pain.

Referee Jose Maria Sanchez played advantage, allowing Chelsea to continue their attack. Cole Palmer combined with Malo Gusto before finishing with a left-footed shot to make it 2-1. The referee then showed Tah a yellow card, deeming the foul tactical. Maresca reacted furiously on the sidelines and received a warning.

After the match, Maresca insisted Tah deserved a red card for the incident. "When a player has no intention of playing the ball and only targets the opponent, it's always a red card," the Italian manager said. "So why not this time? The referee said it wasn't strong enough or malicious enough. But is that like waiting for blood to be drawn before issuing a red card?"

When asked if the outcome would have changed had Tah been sent off, Maresca expressed satisfaction with his team's performance. "For the first 20 minutes, we were in control, didn't give them any chances, and even created two dangerous situations," he said. "But after conceding, the game changed. However, against an opponent like Bayern, maintaining control for 95-100 minutes is almost impossible."

The 45-year-old manager also declined to comment on the penalty awarded to Bayern. In the 25th minute, Harry Kane opened the scoring from the spot after being fouled by Moises Caicedo. "I haven't reviewed the incident," Maresca said. "If you've seen it on television, you can tell me whether it was really a penalty."

Jonathan Tah (right) challenges Joao Pedro during Bayern's 3-1 victory over Chelsea in their opening Champions League match at Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany on 17/9/2025. Photo: Sport

Jonathan Tah (right) challenges Joao Pedro during Bayern's 3-1 victory over Chelsea in their opening Champions League match at Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany on 17/9/2025. Photo: Sport

Meanwhile, Tah believed the yellow card was the correct decision. "If I hit him in the face, I would admit it. But that's not what happened. The yellow card was right," the German defender stated.

However, former German international Michael Ballack commented on television: "Tah was lucky to escape a red card. The incident could have been handled more severely. Tah needs to be careful."

Sporting director Christoph Freund asserted that the Bayern defender had no malicious intent. "He only made contact with the opponent's chest when both were running very fast. It looked more serious than it was. This wasn't violent conduct," he said.

Manager Vincent Kompany also defended his player. "I even thought Tah was fouled first. He was pulled by the shirt, turned around and was only trying to get free. I might be a bit biased, but that's my feeling," the Belgian manager expressed.

Compiled by Hong Duy