Bayern Munich registered a 2-1 win over Boca Juniors to qualify for the knockout round of the 2025 Club World Cup. The Bavarians had dominated Auckland City in the first game with a 10-0 thumping, followed by a close affair against the Argentine outfit.
It was a good start for Vincent Kompany’s men as Harry Kane handed them the lead in the 18th minute. However, they had a goal chalked off in the ninth minute due to a foul in the process.
It was pretty smooth sailing for the German champions until Miguel Merentiel, waltzed past Josip Stanisic in the final third before slotting it past Manuel Neuer to restore parity for Boca.
However, Bayern kept pushing for the winner and in the 83rd minute, Michael Olise found the net with a precise finish to hand all three points to the Bavarians, who are now six points after two games, topping Group C.
But one of the highlights of the game was Jamal Musiala’s injury and subsequent substitution. The German sensation is returning from a major injury, and when he was down on the field, Kompany was quick to sub him out.
Musiala came out as a substitute in the second half and only lasted 25 minutes. He limped off the pitch with what looked like an apparent calf injury.
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Kompany, during his post-match press conference, shared some concerns over the German midfielder. “I definitely want to talk to the doctors first. We will travel to Orlando first, and we will know the details tomorrow. I hope it is not serious. I am a little comfortable, although I do not know what the doctors will say tomorrow,” he stated.
Following the game, Sky Sports Germany journalist Kerry Hau reported that Musiala’s injury isn’t that bad. Later, BILD suggested Musiala’s substitution was precautionary, and he is expected to play the next match against Benfica.
What did Kompany say about Bayern’s performance following the win?
The Belgian tactician highlighted how Latin American teams have stepped up their game, and hence he was full of praise for his players to secure qualification to the knockout round of the tournament.
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“I am very satisfied with what we delivered. We are fully aware of the difficulty of facing Latin American teams, and we showed a strong character in this match,” Kompany shared.
Kompany was not happy with Bayern conceding a goal, but he was satisfied with the manner they kept their calm and managed to find a way to win the game. “We managed to maintain our calm despite conceding a goal, which is something I personally do not prefer, but the team dealt with the situation with great maturity, and the way we finished the match was excellent.”
“If we want a more accurate assessment, we could say that we should have scored more goals and not allowed the opponent to get back into the game. It wasn’t a difficult ending, but it gave Boca Juniors a chance to come back, which should be avoided in the future.”
Bayern Munich had multiple opportunities to extend the scoreline as they had four shots on target and also clocked above 600 passes with 73% possession. The German champions had a massive xG of 4.57 compared to Boca’s mere 0.67 xG.
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