Miami, June 20 Bayern Munich rekindled their European pride at the Club World Cup with a gritty 2-1 win over Boca Juniors on Friday, booking their place in the last 16 after a tense and fiery clash.
In front of a passionate crowd dominated by Boca supporters - who transformed the Hard Rock Stadium into a mini “Bombonera” - the Argentine side fought tooth and nail. But Bayern's determination prevailed late in the game.
Harry Kane opened the scoring for the German champions early in the first half, only for Boca to hit back through Miguel Merentiel. With the game hanging in the balance, Michael Olise struck a late winner to send Bayern to the top of Group C with six points, two clear of Benfica. Boca, with just one point, remain in the hunt and will face Auckland City in their final group game, while Bayern take on Benfica.
The victory was a timely boost for European clubs, who have recently struggled in the tournament, with Porto, PSG, and Chelsea all tasting defeat.
The match crackled with intensity, especially in the second half, as Boca pressed high and disrupted Bayern’s rhythm with physical, high-tempo football.
Bayern made a strong start and thought they had gone ahead when Olise’s curling corner found the net, but the goal was ruled out by VAR for a foul on the goalkeeper. The breakthrough came in the 18th minute when a deflected clearance fell to Kane, who calmly finished into the bottom corner after a cross from Konrad Laimer - his first goal of the tournament after being held scoreless in the 10-0 rout of Auckland City.
Bayern nearly doubled their lead soon after as Serge Gnabry sent a ball across the face of goal, but Kingsley Coman missed a golden opportunity to tap in. At the other end, Manuel Neuer made a pair of sharp saves to deny Kevin Zenon, as Boca continued to pose a threat.
After the break, Boca intensified their efforts, unsettling Bayern with their relentless pressing and spirited tackling. The pressure paid off in the 66th minute when Merentiel was played through on the right, danced past Josip Stanisic, and beat Neuer with a composed finish, sending the Boca fans into a frenzy.
But Bayern held their nerve. In the 84th minute, Olise curled a precise shot into the bottom corner after being teed up by Kane, sealing a crucial win and a spot in the knockout stages.
--IANS
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