German champions Bayern Munich handed Ronald Koeman’s
Barcelona their first defeat in the Catalan giant’s post-Lionel Messi era when
they defeated them 3-0 at Camp Nou in the Champions League opener on Tuesday,
riding on Robert Lewandowski’s brace while Thomas Müller scored the other goal.

Müller’s 34th-minute strike took his career tally to seven
goals against Barcelona, including the two he netted in the 8-2 shellacking
Bayern dealt Barcelona the last time they met in August 2020.

Barcelona started the game defensively in what seemed like a
focus on protecting themselves from another embarrassing defeat without Messi to
rely on as they had for years.

The final score hid the total dominance of the Bundesliga
powerhouse. Julian Nagelsmann’s team turned the once great attacking juggernaut
of Barcelona into a jittery bunch hunkered down their own area.

Lewandowski turned Bayern’s complete control into goals in
the 56th and 85th, both times putting in rebounds from shots that came off the
post to the striker.

Even its fans back at Camp Nou, which was at 40% capacity,
for the first time in the Champions League since the start of the pandemic
could not muster a better showing from the home squad.

Barcelona had two wins and a draw in its three previous
matches, all in the Spanish league, that it had played this season after its
wretched finances had kept it from resigning Messi.

In the other game, Serie A giants Juventus had the opposite
fate as they won for the first time since their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo left
them for Manchester United. The Old Lady defeated Malmo 3-0 in their Champions
League opener.

 Alex Sandro’s
23rd-minute opener was followed by goals in the space of 60 seconds by Paulo
Dybala from the penalty spot and Alvaro Morata on the stroke of halftime in the
south of Sweden.

(With AP inputs)