Munich (Germany) (AFP)

Bayern Munich sent Friday the opening of the Bundesliga a chilling message to all their future opponents, Germans and Europeans, blasting Schalke 8-0, with a hat-trick from Serge Gnabry.

Bayern rookie star Leroy Sané scored once and delivered two assists to Gnabry, for his first start since arriving from Manchester City, for 45 million euros.

Goretzka, Lewandowski from the penalty spot, Müller and the very young Jamal Musiala, who became the youngest goalscorer in club history at 17, scored the other goals.

A few weeks after his cup-championship-Champions League treble, the "Rekordmeister" gave himself up to an insolent demonstration against a courageous but completely overwhelmed Gelsenkirchen team.

"They do not beat their opponents, they destroy them," Borussia Dortmund boss Hans-Joachim Watzke said before the start of the Bundesliga.

His little phrase risks becoming proverbial.

Dortmund, which receives Mönchengladbach on Saturday for the first shock of this Bundesliga, and Leipzig, semi-finalist of the Champions League, are warned: they will face a monster this season!

- Undefeated since December -

Because if Schalke was the first victim of the "Rekordmeister" version 2020-2021, it may not be the last.

The Bavarian team, which has not lost an official match since December 7, 2019 (2-1 against Mönchengladbach), has put on its 22nd consecutive victory, and displays terrifying superiority.

While most of the teams are still breaking in, Bayern have given the impression that they are already at their best.

The Bavarians stifled their opponents with a huge pressing, never relaxed with three, four or five goals in advance.

Up front, their automatisms are impressive, even if we have sometimes seen coach Hansi Flick get annoyed on his bench for the lack of realism of his attackers, who could indeed have made the addition worse.

This opening match, played behind closed doors due to a resurgence of the coronavirus in Bavaria, has sometimes looked like training.

At the break, Bayern shot twelve times on goal, scored six times, and scored 3 goals.

Manuel Neuer, in goal for Bayern, had only one save to make, in the first minute.

Back from the locker room, Schalke believed he could play a little higher to prevent Bayern from building.

The "Blues" were punished in less than two minutes.

On a counter led by the Sané-Gnabry duo, the first erased goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann and served the second for the 4-0 ball (47th).

- Coman in quarantine -

Gnabry achieved his hat-trick shortly after (59th), again served by his friend in the national team, who played in place of Kingsley Coman, in forced quarantine after having rubbed shoulders with a person affected by the new coronavirus.

Thomas Müller continued with the resumption of a spectacular pass from Lewandowski (6-0), and Sané was pleased by scoring the 7th goal (71st).

Jamal Musiala, a 17-year-old player who entered late in the game, scored the 8th goal (81st), for his second first-team appearance.

The French world champion Lucas Hernandez, used very little last season due to a long injury, had started.

In the left side position, he made a barely correct copy, very far from the performance of the usual holder Alphonso Davies.

© 2020 AFP