Bayern Munich tested by 10-man

Anderlecht in UCL-opening win

Five-time champions Bayern Munich opened their Champions League campaign with a
flattering 3-0 win over 10-man Anderlecht on Tuesday.

Bayern were still smarting after their first defeat of the season -- a 2-0 Bundesliga loss
at Hoffenheim on Saturday -- and had been looking to respond emphatically in the
Group B game.

Bayern have won 16 of their last 17 home games in the competition and any chance of
an upset from Anderlecht seemed to vanish after 11 minutes, when last man Sven
Kums was sent off for hauling down Robert Lewandowski.

TV replays showed the contact was outside the penalty area, but the spot kick was
awarded and Lewandowski dusted himself off to convert it.Bayern failed to make the
most of their man advantage, however. Opportunities were allowed to slip with wayward
passes, epitomised by a loose ball from Corentin Tolisso for Franck Ribery, who would
have been through and had already done well to instigate the move.

Then Adrien Trebel tested Manuel Neuer at the other end as the Belgian champions
showed no sign of surrender. Another chance before the break had the stern-faced
Carlo Ancelotti out of his dugout.It got worse for Bayern after the interval when
Alexandru Chipciu hit the post for Anderlecht, but that seemed to spur the home side
and Joshua Kimmich crossed for Thiago Alcantara to settle the fans' nerves midway
through the second half.
Real Madrid v APOEL video, highlights:
Sergio Ramos’ bicycle, Cristiano Ronaldo
double in win
CRISTIANO Ronaldo wasted no time in showing Real Madrid what they have been missing
during his five-game domestic suspension, by scoring twice as the holders began their
Champions League defence with a routine 3-0 win over APOEL Nicosia.
But the Portuguese superstar had Ronaldo, banned for pushing a referee after being sent off in
the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, opened the scoring after just 12 minutes from Gareth
Bale’s low cross.
The Portuguese doubled his tally from the penalty spot before Ramos’ overhead kick rounded
off the scoring.
the headlines stolen off him by captain Sergio Ramos who scored a sensational 50 metre,
breakaway bicycle kick to seal the win.
Real move to the top of Group H alongside Tottenham Hotspur, who ended their Wembley
hoodoo with an impressive 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund.
Ronaldo described the length of his ban as “persecution” on the part of the Spanish football
federation and his absence has been felt by Real in profligate performances in being held at
home by Valencia and Levante.
Real boss Zinedine Zidane admitted that the club’s failure to replace Alvaro Morata had left his
striking options limited, particularly in the absence of Karim Benzema through a hamstring
injury.
However, with Bale excelling back on the left, Ronaldo filled that void as he swept home at the
back post from the Welshman’s cross.Ronaldo then headed into the side-netting from a similar
position from another Bale delivery moments later.
Real suffered an injury setback midway through the half as Mateo Kovacic limped off to be
replaced by Toni Kroos.
And the hosts’ rhythm was disrupted as they struggled to create more clear-cut chances against
the dogged Cypriot champions before the break.
Ronaldo thought he had doubled his tally a minute into the second half as his volley from Dani
Carvajal’s pinpoint cross came off the underside of the bar, but didn’t cross the line despite his
protests.
Madrid’s luck turned moments later when Roberto Lago was very harshly penalised for handball
from Bale’s deflected cross and Ronaldo smashed home the resulting penalty.
Ronaldo showed his hunger for more goals as he retrieved the ball from the net and raced back
to the halfway line.
However, it was Ramos who struck next in acrobatic fashion from point-blank range