Michael Olise scored a late winner as Bayern Munich secured their place in the knockout stages of the FIFA Club World Cup with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Argentine giants Boca Juniors on Friday.
In a tense and fiery encounter at Hard Rock Stadium, dominated by the noise and passion of a massive travelling contingent of Boca supporters, the German champions were forced to dig deep to overcome their resilient opponents.
Harry Kane gave Bayern an early lead in the 18th minute, poking home a composed finish after latching onto a loose clearance for his first goal of the tournament. This came after an earlier Michael Olise goal, direct from a corner, was disallowed by VAR for a foul on the Boca goalkeeper. Despite creating further chances, including a notable miss by Kingsley Coman, Bayern went into halftime with only a one-goal advantage.
Spurred on by their roaring fans, who transformed the stadium into a “noisy outpost of their ‘Bombonera’,” Boca Juniors fought their way back into the match with a display of typical grit and aggression. Their efforts were rewarded in the 66th minute when Miguel Merentiel expertly evaded a challenge from Josip Stanisic and fired a shot past Manuel Neuer to level the score, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
With the match brimming with tension, Bayern’s quality eventually shone through. Six minutes from time, Kane set up Olise, who bent a precise shot into the bottom corner to seal a crucial victory for Vincent Kompany’s side.
The win marked a welcome result for European teams at the tournament, after recent defeats for Porto, Paris St-Germain, and Chelsea.
The result lifts Bayern Munich to the top of Group C with a perfect six points, two ahead of second-placed Benfica. Boca Juniors remain in contention for a knockout spot with one point. In the final round of group matches, Bayern will face Benfica to decide the group winner, while Boca will play amateur side Auckland City.
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