Bayern Munich went into their Matchday 3 clash with Benfica knowing either a win or draw would see them top Group C in the Club World Cup.
Passage through to the Round of 16, following successive wins against Auckland City and Boca Juniors, had already been secured.
A poor first 45 minutes of action from Vincent Kompany’s men saw the Portuguese outfit take an early lead via Andreas Schjelderup in the 13th minute.
The Bundesliga champions struggled to find a way through Benfica’s low block, though they did discover a couple of routes into the 18-yard box close to the half-time break.
The introduction of heavyweight reinforcements for the second half – including Joshua Kimmich, Harry Kane and Michael Olise – helped swing momentum back in Bayern’s favour.
Bayern v Benfica Club World Cup match report
Bayern Munich lost their last game in the group stage against Benfica 0-1.
That said, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Vincent Kompany changed seven positions in his starting-XI –so it wasn’t the best team put out against the Primeira Liga side.
Certainly, things were much improved when Kane, Kimmich and Olise entered the fray. The trio created a lot of chances, but they didn’t make it in the end.
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So Bayern Munich has to now face Flamengo, which will be very difficult. Once again, it’s set up a battle between Europe and South America. Bayern Munich could have it, perhaps, easier, but now they have to do it in Miami against Flamengo.
I talked with Vincent Kompany after the game, and he mentioned that he did his best to prepare the team for this game in the heat in Charlotte. He gave some players a rest, with a view to the next game against Flamengo, and that was his idea.
So Bayern Munich are now set to play in Miami in the Round of 16. Flamengo stand in the way of a quarter-final appearance in the Club World Cup.
Here at CF Bayern Insider, we have rated the players out of 10.
The first XI
Manuel Neur (7) – Some strong saves from close-range. Couldn’t do much to stop Andreas Schjelderup’s first-half goal after being let down by his backline.
Sacha Boey (4) – Caught ball-watching for Benfica’s goal and failed to block Schjelderup’s late run into the box.
Dayot Upamecano (6) – A decent, if unexceptional, showing from the French centre-half, but a performance that indicated why Bayern need Jonathan Tah’s leadership and organisational qualities.
Josip Stanisic (4) – Only won one ground duel (of four contested) against Benfica and often went missing in the first half. Seemed to calm down a little after Tah’s arrival on the pitch, but otherwise largely a passenger in proceedings. Also needs to bear some responsibility for the goal after allowing Benfica to bring in the ball from the wing.
Raphael Guerreiro (4) – Poor in the first half and was barely involved in the second. Bayern’s best build-up play largely channelled through the right flank.
Joao Palhinha (5) – Didn’t do much wrong, but wasn’t the right player to have on the pitch after Bayern went a goal down and needed creativity to break down a low-block.
Aleksandar Pavlovic (5) – Some sloppy passing in the first half, but looked considerably more assured with Kimmich beside him in the second half.
Leroy Sane (4.5) – Intensely frustrating game from Sane. The winger created a superb goalscoring opportunity for Thomas Muller in the first half after having skied a chance inside the 18-yard box. Had two one-v-ones against Anatoliy Trubin and came up short on both occasions. Could, and perhaps should, have won the game for FC Bayern.
Tom Bischof (4.5) – A learning curve for the 19-year-old midfielder. Flashes of quality throughout the Club World Cup encounter, but struggled to find his rhythm.
Serge Gnabry (4) – Not a great first half but almost registered an assist after taking the ball superbly inside the box and producing a cut-back for Leroy Sane. Otherwise limited involvement from the forward, who failed to provide much width.
Thomas Muller (5) – Looked better playing behind Harry Kane in the second half. Couldn’t get the connection right after Sane played a pass into Muller in the box.
Substitutions
Harry Kane (7) – Found himself in dangerous positions and asked questions of the Benfica backline without quite asserting himself. Came close to finding an equaliser after slipping Leroy Sane in behind the defence in the 88th minute.
Michael Olise (8.5) – Easily FC Bayern’s best player on the pitch. The introduction of the Frenchman completely changed the complexion of the game. The winger caused constant problems down the right flank and created plenty of space for his teammates. Samuel Dahl couldn’t handle him.
Joshua Kimmich (7.5) – Instant injection of quality and control in the middle of the park. Benfica struggled to cut through quite as easily as they had in the first 45 minutes. Deserved his thunder strike from distance, but saw it chalked off for offside thanks to Harry Kane’s positioning. Unfortunate.
Jonathan Tah (6.5) – Calm, clean, and confident. The centre-back signing from Bayer Leverkusen most certainly benefited from Bayern’s midfield gaining back control. But the backline looked considerably more organised and collected after his substitution.
Konrad Laimer (7) – Linked up well with Olise. Played a solid game on the right flank and carved out a handful of chances with crosses into the box.
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