A victory with insights - and worries about Musiala
The round of 16 is booked. FC Bayern deservedly won its second group match, even though the 2-1 lead was briefly in jeopardy. There's a lot to analyze—both positive and negative.
Jamal Musiala picture alliance / HMB Media
Georg Holzner reports from the Club World Cup in Miami, Florida, about FC Bayern
FC Bayern Munich is the first team to beat a South American team at this Club World Cup. This can be considered a success – and also a sign of quality. Just like the associated advancement to the round of 16. However, this 2-1 victory against Boca Juniors was no easy feat. The Munich team slacked off somewhat after the break and didn't fight as decisively in their tackling as they had in the first half.
The center lost control for a time, while the Argentinians became bolder, more aggressive, and quicker to react to second balls. The equalizer was a logical step, partly because Joshua Kimmich and Aleksander Pavlovic, who came on after just under an hour, lost control for 20 minutes. The Bavarian defense was subsequently drawn into rapid counterattacks several times, and Jonathan Tah and Raphael Guerreiro were unable to close down the spaces effectively.
Olise, Neuer and Kane are reliable - Coman at a high levelThe game briefly hung in the balance as substitutions for Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sané initially failed. In the end, it took another strong performance from Michael Olise . The Frenchman delivered! And consistently. Apart from him, that only applies to captain Manuel Neuer , who made outstanding saves, and Harry Kane , who was directly involved in both goals. Kingsley Coman is also performing at a very good level at the moment; he appears fit and extremely lively.
Further insights from this match: The left-back position is a weak spot with Alphonso Davies out until the end of the year (torn cruciate ligament), and only Josip Stanisic has provided some more stability. It's questionable why the highly talented Adam Aznou is barely getting any playing time. On the other hand, at right back, Konrad Laimer has shown that he's a better option than Sacha Boey .
Musiala first came on, then was substituted due to injuryJamal Musiala is also a cause for concern. The striker celebrated a fantastic comeback after a two-month injury layoff with his hat trick against Auckland City. He was supposed to be introduced gradually, and was therefore only substituted on after just under an hour against Boca. He didn't achieve much, and things got even worse: In the 82nd minute, he had to leave the field injured again.
Coach Vincent Kompany expressed at least cautious optimism at the press conference. He "hoped it wasn't anything serious," but wanted to speak with the doctors first before commenting in more detail. The Munich team will fly the nearly 400 kilometers back to Orlando this Saturday, and the situation should be clear by then at the latest.
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