Reality sets in for Barcelona about life without star Messi
Bayern Munich showed Barcelona exactly how dreary life will be without Lionel Messi on Tuesday when it dealt the Spanish team its first loss since the exit of the star forward.
Thomas Müller scored a goal and Robert Lewandowski added two more to help Bayern ease to a 3-0 victory at Camp Nou in their Champions League opener.
Similarly, Cristiano Ronaldo’s early goal could not save Manchester United from another Champions League loss in Switzerland, 2-1 against a sharp and robust Young Boys team. Jordan Siebatcheu, the United
States forward on as a substitute, struck in the fifth and last minute of stoppage time when the ball broke into space behind the United defense.
Ronaldo’s record-extending 135th Champions League goal in the 13th minute was the first of his — and United’s — only two shots of the game. … Juventus claimed its first win of the post-Ronaldo era by beating Malmo 3-0 in the Champions League after a flurry of first-half goals. …
Salzburg was left to rue two missed penalties in its 1-1 draw at 10-man Sevilla to start its Champions League campaign. The messy match in Seville was marked by errors both by Sevilla’s veterans and the youngsters of Salzburg. Salzburg could take only one goal from three penalties all earned by inspired striker Karim
Adeyemi before 40 minutes were up. Luka Sucic converted a spot kick to give the Austrian team the lead in the 21st minute. … South Korean team Ulsan Horang-i kept its hopes alive for a second consecutive Asian Champions League title by beating Kawasaki Frontale 3-2 in a penalty shootout to reach the quarterfinals.
More soccer: The
U.S. Soccer Federation said it had offered identical contract proposals to the players’ associations for the men’s and women's national teams, and the governing body said it would refuse to agree to a deal in which World Cup prize money is not equalized.
HEAT SIGNING
The Heat used its second two-way contract to sign former Charlotte Hornets small forward Caleb Martin. Martin has averaged 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists and 16 minutes per game in 71 NBA games, including four starts, for the Hornets over the past two seasons. Martin isn’t a particularly skilled threepoint shooter, as he has shot 31.5 percent from deep in his career (51 for 162).
— ANTHONY CHIANG,
BARRY JACKSON
The league is going ahead with a plan in which players who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will not need to submit to regular testing. Those who are unvaccinated will undergo rigorous testing.