The round of 16 is booked. FC Bayern also deservedly won its second group match, even though the 2-1 victory was briefly in the balance. There is a lot to analyze – both positive and negative.
FC Bayern is the first team to beat a South American side in this Club World Cup. That can be considered a success – and also a sign of quality. Just like the associated qualification for the round of 16. However, this 2-1 win against Boca Juniors was no walk in the park. The Munich side eased off a little after the break and didn’t tackle as resolutely as they did in the first half.
The center lost control for a while, while the Argentinians grew in confidence, became more aggressive and were quicker to react to loose balls. The equalizer was logical, not least because Joshua Kimmich and Aleksander Pavlovic, who came on after just under an hour, lost control for 20 minutes. The Bavarian defense was then caught out several times by quick counterattacks, with Jonathan Tah and Raphael Guerreiro unable to close down the space effectively.
Olise, Neuer, and Kane can be relied upon – Coman performs at a high level
The game was briefly in the balance because the substitutions of Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sané initially failed to have an impact. In the end, it took another strong performance from Michael Olise to get the job done. The Frenchman delivers! And he does so consistently. Apart from him, the only other players who can claim to have done so are captain Manuel Neuer, who made some outstanding saves, and Harry Kane, who was directly involved in both goals. Kingsley Coman is also in very good form at the moment, looking fit and extremely lively.
Further insights from this game: The left-back position is a weak spot in the absence of Alphonso Davies (cruciate ligament rupture), who is out until the end of the year, with Josip Stanisic providing a little more stability. It is questionable why the highly talented Adam Aznou is hardly getting any playing time. On the other hand, at right-back, Konrad Laimer has shown that he is the better option compared to Sacha Boey.
Musiala first came on as a substitute, then was taken off injured
Jamal Musiala is also a cause for concern. The attacker celebrated a spectacular comeback against Auckland City with a hat trick after around two months out with injury. He was supposed to be eased back into action gradually and was therefore only brought on against Boca after just under an hour. He didn’t achieve much, and things got even worse: in the 82nd minute, he had to leave the field injured once again.
Coach Vincent Kompany was cautiously optimistic at the press conference. He said he “hoped it wasn’t anything serious,” but wanted to speak to the doctors before commenting further. The Munich team will fly the 400 kilometers back to Orlando on Saturday, and clarity should be provided by then at the latest.
