Bayern Munich beat Boca Juniors to reach the last 16

Having been largely superior in the first half and then pushed around in the second, Bayern Munich finally beat Lucas Blondel's Boca Juniors (left on the bench) thanks to goals from Harry Kane and Michael Olise (2-1), on the night of Friday to Saturday, logically confirming their qualification for the last 16 of the Club World Cup.

Quiet and rather discreet during the first match against the Auckland amateurs , despite the avalanche of goals scored (10-0), Harry Kane was much sharper this time. It was he who opened the scoring in the lethal style that characterizes him, with a cross shot from the left after a cross poorly cleared by an opposing defender (18th).

And it was he, too, who cleverly deflected a ball that had been misplaced in the box to Olise, who put Bayern back in front, opening his left foot (84th).

Olise, still in almost all the right offensive plays, was thus forgiven for losing the ball which caused Boca to equalize, shortly after the hour mark. But all the credit went to Uruguayan Miguel Merentiel, who was launched at full speed by Alan Velasco, who beat Jonathan Tah to a great bridge over Josip Stanisic, before beating Manuel Neuer (66th). You had to hear and see the reaction of the excited Boca fans, who certainly never stopped singing in the stands of the Hard Rock Stadium, almost full for this match and decked out in blue and yellow.

This extra spirit obviously helped their team to get back on level terms with the Bavarians in the middle of a much more proactive second half from CABJ, who had shown some signs of fighting back after the half-hour mark. But Manuel Neuer had repelled a free kick from Kevin Zenon with both fists (31st) and then with one - handball goalkeeper style - another shot from the winger in the box (33rd).

The fact remains, however, that the Bavarians, impressive collectively, made a very strong impression from the start. And they could have been sorry for not having wrapped things up earlier. Because the chances came one after another, with Kane, who was decidedly omnipresent, setting up a subtle deflection on the right for Michael Olise, whose tight cross went unanswered (20th). And what about Kingsley Coman, who was a few millimeters too short to take a cross from Serge Gnabry (20th), and Olise, too playful, who lost his duel with goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin while trying to dribble past him (32nd)?

"We probably should have led 2-0 or 3-0 in the first half. Then they fought back and the second half was more difficult. So it was very difficult, especially as it felt like an away game, as their fans were so loud," Kane agreed.

In temperatures of 29 degrees, the Argentinians continued to press in the second half, even if it meant exposing themselves to Bavarian counterattacks, but Olise, alone at the penalty spot, found the goalkeeper (50th), before finally finding the target, saving the match at the end.

Boca's defeat - the first for a South American club since the start of the tournament - does not mean elimination, but their fate is no longer in their own hands. They will need the biggest possible victory against Auckland, combined with a Benfica defeat against Bayern in the final two Group C matches, to also hope to advance to the last 16.