Bayern ease to 3-0 win over Red Star

SHOWS: MUNICH, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (German) BAYERN MUNICH COACH NIKO KOVAC, SAYING:

"First of all I would like to congratulate my team on their good start. You know yourself it is tournament form. You have to get through the group stage. Of course we want to start well into the tournament, with a home win! I have to say that we played a lot of chances and that is good. We could have got the one or other extra goals but on the other hand it was against a team that defended to the point of sacrifice. A team who tried everything to avoid a goal against them, i.e. to defend. That's why it wasn't so easy to use all our chances. But we are happy with the result and with the way we achieved it."

STORY: Bayern Munich kicked off their Champions League campaign by easing to a 3-0 victory over Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday (September 18) in a one-sided Group B encounter.

Kingsley Coman headed them into the lead in the 34th minute from a fine Ivan Perisic cross and the Bundesliga's leading scorer Robert Lewandowski slid in for the second goal in the 80th.

Thomas Mueller, who became the club's record Champions League appearance maker when he came on as a substitute for his 106th game in the competition, volleyed in his first goal of the season in stoppage time.

Coach Niko Kovac said he was happy with his side's performance against a team that defended deep. Kovac said his team could have scored a couple more goals but was satisfied with the result.