Bayern Munich had the opportunity to continue their winning streak in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup when they took the field against Benfica in Charlotte on Tuesday.
However, Vincent Kompany’s men were underwhelming throughout the game as they conceded a first-half goal courtesy of Andre Schjelderup. The German champions pushed hard for an equaliser, and they came close to scoring multiple times, but eventually they were wasteful and suffered a shock defeat.
Following the defeat, Kompany was heavily criticised for making wholesale changes to the starting eleven as the team struggled to match Benfica in the first half. They stepped up in the second half, but they simply couldn’t score the equaliser goal.
Due to this result, Bayern will now face Brazilian outfit Flamengo in the round of 16. The Bavarians are now in the tougher bracket where teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester City are already present.
However, Joshua Kimmich has spoken in support of the Belgian tactician and feels he was well within his rights to rotate the team, as he expects the other players to also step up when they get the opportunity to feature.
“I think it wasn’t just about the players who played a lot. We’ve only had two games. It was also about having a good squad and wanting to involve all players. The coach deliberately wants to rely on different players – and that’s very, very right,” Kimmich told the reporters following the defeat when asked about Kompany’s rotation policy.
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“If you look at the tournament or an entire season, then it’s not enough to just have a very good starting eleven, you also need players beyond that who work well. That won’t work if they only play once every seven games. We need a lot of players with rhythm.”
What did Kimmich say about finishing second in the group?
Bayern Munich started the campaign with a thumping 10-0 win over Auckland City in their opening fixture. They followed it up with a close 2-1 win over Boca Juniors in the second match, hence qualifying for the knockout rounds of the competition.
The Bavarians wanted to win Group C with a win or at least a draw, as it would have allowed them an easier bracket. Had they won, they would have faced Chelsea in the round of 16, but after that, things would have been relatively easier had they continued their winning streak.
But now, they are scheduled to play Flamengo in the round of 16, and if by any chance they win that match, they will lock horns with the winners of the Inter Miami and PSG game.
Even Kimmich rues the opportunity of not winning the group. “It’s not ideal. We didn’t achieve our goal of winning the group. We should at least have gotten a draw,” he added.
Flamengo are in great form in this tournament, and it won’t be an easy game for Bayern Munich. Felipe Luis and his players have shown their mettle with a win against Chelsea, and the fact that they have won Group D tells a lot about their skill set.
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