Bayern Munich started their bid for Champions League glory with a 3-0 victory over Olympiacos in Athens this evening.
A miscued cross from Thomas Muller broke the deadlock early in the second half, and he doubled his tally for the night from the penalty spot in stoppage time after Mario Gotze had come off the bench to score his side's second of the evening.
Below, Sports Mole takes a look at the key talking points from the Group F match.
Match statistics
OLYMPIACOS
Shots: 9
On target: 5
Possession: 35%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 14
BAYERN MUNICH
Shots: 19
On target: 8
Possession: 65%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 15
Was the result fair?
The late goals may have added gloss to the scoreline, but it would be unfair to argue that Bayern did not deserve to walk away with a comfortable victory on the opening night in Group F. Predictably, the visitors were dominant in possession from the first whistle and they were slightly unfortunate not to be ahead earlier. A rare spell of Olympiacos pressure arrived just before Gotze doubled Bayern's lead, but the hosts certainly did not do enough to be on level terms. There is certainly no doubt that Bayern were well worth the win, despite maybe lacking the attacking fluency which is usually key to their performances.
Olympiacos's performance
It is difficult to be too hard on Olympiacos on a night when they faced one of the favourites for this year's Champions League, but the home side may feel that this was a missed opportunity. Bayern may not have been at their best but they were always good enough to hold off an Olympiacos side that lacked the quality needed to slice open the visiting defence.
Three goals conceded is probably harsh on Marco Silva's defence, who battled impressively to keep the likes of Muller and Robert Lewandowski quiet for long spells, but the real problems were in midfield. Esteban Cambiasso played almost as a fifth defender to protect the players behind him. His presence in a deep position allowed Xabi Alonso to dominate the space in midfield, and the Olympiacos attacking players did not do enough to unsettle the Spaniard. In attack, Brown Ideye missed a great chance in the first half and Leandro Salino wasted a good opportunity later on, but they just never had the creativity to trouble Bayern on a regular basis.
Bayern Munich's performance
It perhaps will not be remembered as a classic Bayern Munich display, but this game was further proof that Pep Guardiola has one of the most intelligent squads in Europe. The visitors never looked rushed when it was goalless, and they remained composed in possession after breaking the deadlock. Despite the slender advantage, Bayern refused to change their approach in any way and their patience on the ball frustrated the hosts for much of the second half.
After surviving a spell of pressure in the closing stages, Bayern stepped up the tempo on the break to strike twice late on and wrap up what became a comfortable win. On a night when Muller and Lewandowski were marked tightly, it was Bayern's midfielders who took on more responsibility as Alonso controlled the game with help from Thiago and Arturo Vidal, who were key as they forced Olympiacos to chase the ball for long spells.
Tests will get tougher as the season progresses, but there was no doubt that this was Bayern in third gear as they eased to all three points without too much cause for concern. Guardiola is unlikely to be getting carried away with the win, and he will be expecting more from his players in Group F.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Xabi Alonso: It was a passing masterclass from Bayern, and one of the greatest users of the ball in the modern era stood head and shoulders above the rest. Bayern often found it difficult to create space for Muller, Lewandowski and Douglas Costa, but their midfield refused to play hopeful balls forward and it was Alonso who dictated the tempo of their play with his fantastic range in the middle of the pitch. At the age of 34, Alonso is as intelligent as ever and he displayed his class with a brilliant performance to lead Bayern to all three points.
Biggest gaffe
Olympiacos deserved nothing from the match, but they were gifted a great chance to equalise late on when a ball fell to Leandro Salino in the box. However, the Brazilian wasted the opportunity by somehow slicing wide of the target.
Referee performance
Carlos Velasco Carballo infuriated the home fans with some odd decisions in the first half, but he improved after the break to keep the game flowing when Olympiacos attempted to disrupt Bayern in midfield.
What next?
Olympiacos: Silva's side return to action in the league with a trip to Xanthi next Tuesday.
Bayern Munich: The Bundesliga champions will look to extend their winning run when they visit the unbeaten SV Darmstadt 98 on Saturday afternoon.
Callum Mulvihill
