Michael Olise’s late strike proved decisive as Bayern Munich booked their place in the knockout round of the FIFA Club World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Boca Juniors on Friday night.
Playing at the Hard Rock Stadium, the German champions clinched a second consecutive win in Group C to secure qualification to the round of 16 with one game still to play.
Harry Kane opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a composed finish, setting the tone for Bayern.
Despite dominating much of the game, the Bundesliga giants squandered a series of opportunities, which allowed Boca a lifeline.
That opportunity was seized in the 66th minute when Miguel Merentiel pulled the Argentine side level with a stunning solo effort, threatening to deny Bayern the win.
But Olise, who had been lively throughout, came through in the 84th minute with the winner, ensuring Bayern’s safe passage into the next stage.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, we knew we were coming into a hostile environment, hot weather, it was tough,” Kane said after the game. “It’s a massive tournament. We are playing against the best teams in the world. We just have to compete to our highest level and we should be able to beat most teams.”
However, the victory was marred by an injury to Jamal Musiala. The German midfielder, who had only recently returned from a hamstring injury, was forced off just 25 minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Veteran Thomas Müller replaced him in the 82nd minute, and the extent of the injury is yet to be confirmed.
Despite the loss, Boca Juniors still have a path to the next round. They must deliver a convincing win over Auckland City on Tuesday and hope Benfica fall to Bayern.
“We have to find a way (to advance). A draw would’ve been great but it’s up to us to compete and do our best and I would not be surprised if that happened,” said Boca coach Miguel Angel Russo.
