CELTIC discovered Bayern Munich are still very much a European force as they suffered a 3-0 drubbing in their Champions League clash at the Allianz Arena.

The German giants had replaced Carlo Ancelotti with Jupp Heynckes following their 3-0 Group B defeat by Paris Saint-Germain last month but any thoughts of demise were swept away as skipper Thomas Muller opened the scoring in the 17th minute before right-back Joshua Kimmich nodded in a second before half-time.

Stopper Mats Hummels headed in a third six minutes after the break and the Bundesliga champions were unfortunate their dominance was not properly reflected in the scoreline.

The Hoops’ 3-0 win away to Anderlecht in September means they are favourites to at least end up with a Europa League place after Christmas but they were simply outclassed by the Bundesliga side.

And after losing 5-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in their opening fixture, it is clear they still have a way to go to compete with the big boys on the Champions League stage.

Boss Brendan Rodgers had been wary of the bounce from Heynckes’s return but he was boosted by the return of skipper Scott Brown and fellow midfielder Stuart Armstrong.

However, not for the first time this season he had a hole to fill at centre-back with Jozo Simunovic out with a hamstring problem.

Mikael Lustig, rested for the win over Dundee at the weekend, moved inside to partner Dedryck Boyata with Cristian Gamboa taking over at right-back for only his second Hoops start of the season.

Among the home side’s stars were attackers Robert Lewandowski, Arjen Robben and Muller.

The away fans in the Allianz Arena were relieved in the sixth minute when the linesman flagged when Thiago Alcantara had the ball in the net from a Lewandowski cut-back.

A tug on the Poland striker’s shirt inside the box by Lustig moments later when unpunished by Russian referee Sergei Karasev but the Parkhead defence was soon breached.

Returning keeper Craig Gordon did brilliantly to parry Lewandowksi’s close-range header from a Kimmich cross but the unmarked Muller was on hand to fire the loose ball high into the net.

Gordon but had no chance with Bayern’s second just before the half-hour mark when France winger Kingsley Coman beat Gamboa again down the left and crossed for Kimmich to loop a header in from 14 yards.

Moments later, Gordon saved a powerful Lewandowski drive with his left elbow and there was a feeling of doom for the Scottish champions.

Bayern’s third goal was simplicity itself as defender Hummels beat Brown to head in Robben’s corner from the right.

Celtic’s breaks were sporadic as Bayern took an even tighter grip of the game.

On the hour-mark Gamboa cleared a Robben header off the line, after Kimmich had fired in Bayern’s 10th corner of the night, before Lewandowski had the ball guided a David Alaba cross into the net from six yards only for the offside flag to be correctly up for offside.

In the 64rd minute Rodgers brought on Moussa Dembele and Tom Rogic for Leigh Griffiths and Armstrong but Bayern kept the pressure up with Gordon making saves from Robben and Lewandowski.

Sinclair curled a shot into the net after the offside flag was up, Lustig’s added-time header clipped the post with Brown ruled offside anyway but Gordon prevented a fourth when he made a brilliant save from a Lewandoswki header.