Lewandowski misfires in 'emotional' homecoming

LONDON－It doesn't seem to matter which shirt Robert Lewandowski is wearing－Bayern Munich just keeps getting the better of Barcelona either way.

Bayern extended its recent dominance over the Spanish giant with a 2-0 win in the Champions League on Tuesday to show it can cope quite well without Lewandowski, who left to join Barcelona in the offseason.

It started out as a friendly homecoming as Lewandowski walked down the familiar steps of the Allianz Arena players' tunnel before kickoff, hugging every one of his former teammates along the way.

Bayern's players didn't extend the same level of hospitality once the game started.

After Lewandowski missed several good chances to score in the first half, Lucas Hernandez and Leroy Sane netted within a five-minute span in the second period as Bayern took control of Group C with two wins from two games.

"Luck wasn't on his side," Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said about Lewandowski. "For Lewi, it's an emotional game, here, a bit like coming home.

"The luck in the decisive moments wasn't on his side－and that became our luck.

"With his volley (in the 19th minute) we had a little bit of luck that it went over the crossbar... but I think we showed a really good defensive performance."

Bayern's France defender Hernandez headed in a corner to open the scoring, but it was Sane who put the game beyond doubt for the home side.

Former Manchester City forward Sane, who scored one and created another in Bayern's 2-0 opening Champions League win at Inter Milan, helped turn the match, which was well in Barca's favor after a furious opening half.

The Germany attacker scored Bayern's second in the 54th minute, chipping a ball over Barca keeper Marc Andre ter Stegen, just three minutes after Bayern's Hernandez headed in a corner from Joshua Kimmich to open the scoring.

Lewandowski, greeted by warm applause from the home fans during the pregame warm-up, had several chances to open the scoring.

Lewandowski latched onto a dipping pass from Pedri in the 19th minute, but shot too high, just tickling the top of the crossbar.

A minute later, the Poland forward again received the ball just meters from Bayern's goal, but his header was saved from close range by Neuer.

Raphinha, starting his first Champions League game after making the move from Leeds in the summer, drilled in a low shot past a stranded Neuer after 27 minutes, but the Brazilian missed the goal by inches.

In the dying stages of the half, Barca had appeals for a penalty waved away by referee Danny Makkelie when Alphonso Davies brought down Ousmane Dembele on the edge of the box, with replays showing the Canadian made clear contact with the Frenchman's legs.

At halftime, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann brought on Leon Goretzka for Marcel Sabitzer and the move almost paid immediate dividends, with the former's rocket from outside the box deflected out by Ter Stegen for a corner, which Hernandez would score from.

'Not my player anymore'

Nagelsmann told media after the game he hoped the victory would mean the end of questions about Lewandowski.

"He played a good game. From our point of view, I'm happy that he didn't score－but I think we saw he was dangerous.

"After the game, I saw him and I hugged him, but he plays for a different club and I have different players I need to look out for. This week I had 65 questions on Lewandowski. You can ask those questions to (Barca coach) Xavi now, because he's not my player anymore."

Barcelona's 19-year-old midfielder Pedri said Bayern made his side pay for failing to take its chances.

"It was a tricky game," he told Movistar Plus.

"In the first half we had a lot of chances to score and when you forgive so much against a team like this, you end up paying for it," he added.

Bayern travels to Camp Nou for the return fixture on Oct 26.

Barcelona next faces Inter, who got its first points with a 2-0 win away to Viktoria Plzen in the Czech Republic.

Edin Dzeko and Denzel Dumfries got the goals for Inter while the home side had midfielder Pavel Bucha sent off in the second half.

It was the Bosnia international's 10th goal in nine matches against Plzen, and ninth in the last six.

The 10 goals against Plzen are the most Dzeko has scored against any team.

"This is certainly an important result," Inter coach Simone Inzaghi said.

"The boys were good to make the match simple because it wasn't easy, in fact no Italian team had ever won here.

"We are happy because we knew we couldn't underestimate our opponent and we didn't do it. The lads did well, they remained focused and I congratulated them after the final whistle."

Inter also received news that forward Romelu Lukaku should be back for its next Champions League match against Barcelona. The Belgium international is expected to return from his thigh injury after the international break.

"At the moment we are without Lukaku, but with Dzeko playing so well he can recover calmly," Inzaghi said.

"Edin did well, like all his teammates. Lukaku will be back after the break and then I will have to choose the front two on a game-by-game basis."

Agencies