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Jamal Musiala announced his return to the biggest stage in stunning style as Bayern Munich began their Champions League campaign with an emphatic 5-0 win over FK Bodo/Glimt. The young attacking midfielder, who has gone through a difficult spell away from the field, showed he is back near his best by scoring in his first start of the season.

Musiala makes his mark on return

The Allianz Arena saw a genuinely memorable moment on Tuesday night as Musiala came back into the Bayern Munich starting XI for the first time this season. The 23-year-old had been out after a string of worrying health scares in pre-season, when he suffered collapses caused by neurological dysfunctions during friendly matches against RB Leipzig and Heidenheim.

Following a short appearance off the bench against Schalke at the weekend, Vincent Kompany gave the Germany international a start in Bayern's Champions League opener, and the youngster delivered. As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Kompany said that the midfielder " deserved to start, it’s not gifted ."

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 47th minute in a manner that was slightly fortunate but still ruthless. Harry Kane hit a powerful effort from distance that deflected off Bodo/Glimt defender Patrick Berg and dropped perfectly for Musiala. Looking completely sharp, the midfielder turned quickly and fired a fierce finish into the far corner to put the home side ahead.

Kane and Olise tighten Bayern's grip

Once Bayern had the first goal, the contest opened up completely for the Bavarian side. In the 61st minute, Michael Olise, who has grown into a key part of Kompany’s tactical system, whipped in an accurate free-kick into the middle of the box. Harry Kane, showing his usual striker’s instincts, timed his movement perfectly and headed in Bayern’s second goal of the evening. It was another milestone for the England captain, taking him to 55 Champions League goals and 79 overall in European competitions, underlining his place among the most prolific forwards in the history of the tournament.

The final quarter of the match saw Bayern put extra shine on the scoreline as they completely overpowered the Norwegian visitors. Alphonso Davies made it 3-0 in the 77th minute with a trademark burst of speed and composed finish, before Michael Olise took over to complete the demolition. The former Crystal Palace player scored twice late on, first in the 83rd minute and then deep into stoppage time, to wrap up a dominant 5-0 victory.

Bodo/Glimt's resistance eventually gives way

In spite of the one-sided final score, the first half was far more testing for the hosts. FK Bodo/Glimt came to Munich carrying a reputation for upsetting major clubs, after recording notable wins over Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan in the previous campaign. They lived up to that reputation in the opening 45 minutes, defending deep and frustrating Bayern’s creative players. Joshua Kimmich came closest to opening the scoring early, hitting the post in the 35th minute before seeing another attempt kept out by goalkeeper Nikita Haikin just before half-time.

Bayern keep extraordinary opening-day run intact

This result adds to one of the most striking streaks in European football. Bayern Munich have now won the opening match of a European campaign in 23 straight seasons. The last time they were beaten on matchday one was back in the 2002/03 season, when they lost 3-2 to Deportivo La Coruna. Since then, they have produced a flawless sequence of 23 wins, a reflection of the club’s remarkable consistency at the top end of the game.

Next up, the German giants will turn their attention to a trip to Norway on October 13th, where they are set to face Viking Stavanger in their next continental fixture.