Bayern Munich secured a place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Club Cup with a thrilling 4-2 triumph over Flamengo at the sweltering Hard Rock Stadium, bringing an end to Vincent Kompany’s side’s impressive 11-match unbeaten streak.
The Brazilian team arrived at this showdown with plenty of confidence after topping Group D and defeating Chelsea, but it didn’t take long for the team from Rio de Janeiro to face a reality check, conceding twice within the first 10 minutes.
In the sixth minute, Erick Pulgar accidentally redirected a corner from Joshua Kimmich into his own net, and shortly after, Harry Kane marked his 40th goal of the season with a precise long-range left-footed effort that grazed the post before finding the net.
Flamengo responded positively, but Manuel Neuer came up big with a remarkable save, denying Luiz Araújo after he capitalised on a cut-back from Giorgian de Arrascaeta inside the box.
Despite their early goals, Bayern struggled to maintain their composure, and Flamengo justifiably reduced the deficit shortly after the half-hour mark through Gerson.
The captain unleashed a powerful shot that appeared to slip through Neuer’s fingers, punishing a Bayern side that failed to capitalise on their strong start.
However, Bayern regained control just before half-time with a superb long-range strike from Leon Goretzka.
The Brazilian side, however, didn’t back down, closing the gap again thanks to Jorginho’s coolly taken penalty. The Italian slotted it home from 12 yards after Michael Olise was penalised for handling De Arrascaeta’s cross inside the area.
Yet again, Bayern’s hero was Kane, who expertly controlled Kimmich’s pass before placing a magnificent right-footed shot past Agustín Rossi.
Kompany’s team managed to see out the final moments of the match without too much trouble, earning a quarter-final encounter with Paris Saint-Germain. Given their performance in Miami, the defending European champions will feel optimistic about their chances of advancing to the semi-finals against a Bayern team that showed several weaknesses.
However, it’s worth noting that Die Roten have triumphed in their last four encounters against the Parisians, the latest being in November 2024.
Check out a summary of the match here.
_______________________________________________
Sponsored:
FIFA Club World Cup – Every Match Free, exclusively on DAZN.
Click here to sign up and start streaming.
_______________________________________________
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
