Bayern

Bayern Munich remain top of the league standings after staging a road win over reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Bayern Munich have made it 16 wins from 16 games this season to underline their credentials as early UEFA Champions League favourites, beating holders Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 away as Luis Diaz scored two goals and was shown a red card.

The Colombian winger struck twice on Tuesday before being sent off for a violent tackle on Achraf Hakimi on the stroke of half-time.

PSG, who reduced the arrears through Joao Neves, dominated possession after the break but failed to make it fully count and slipped to their first defeat in the competition since last season’s quarterfinal second leg against Aston Villa.

The result kept Bayern top of the 36-team league on a maximum 12 points with PSG in third, three points adrift and with more injury concerns after Hakimi and Ousmane Dembele were replaced early.

“Most importantly I hope that it’s not too bad for Hakimi. We went through this in the US [at the Club World Cup against PSG] with [Jamal] Musiala,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said at a news conference.

“What I tell players is that when there’s some hype, don’t believe it. We’ve won 16, but from tomorrow onwards, it’s back to zero. Nobody has won the Champions League today.”

His PSG counterpart, Luis Enrique, echoed that point of view, saying: “Today’s standings mean nothing. What matters is February, March, April, May.”

“It’s always hard to lose at home. We need to assert ourselves and play better. We faced a well-organised team, especially physically. We couldn’t get our game going,” PSG captain Marquinhos said.

“There are still some positives to take from this match. The team remain ambitious, but we have to do better. They were superior to us. In the second half, we were on top, but it was after the red card.”

Ten-man Bayern hold on for dramatic victory

Dembele made his first Champions League start of the season, but his night was short-lived, the France forward being replaced by Lee Kang-in after 25 minutes.

PSG, who had beaten Bayern 2-0 in the Club World Cup quarterfinals in July, came out flying with their trademark high pressing but were caught cold in the fourth minute when Diaz smashed home after Lucas Chevalier had parried Michael Olise’s effort.

Dembele thought he had levelled midway through the half, only for his goal to be ruled out for offside as PSG pressed but looked unusually fragile at the back.

Moments later, Manuel Neuer pulled off a spectacular save to deny Bradley Barcola, who had raced to a pinpoint long ball from Fabian Ruiz.

Bayern stayed a step ahead, and after Serge Gnabry struck the post, Diaz pounced on a sleepy Marquinhos to steal the ball and slot home a second in the 32nd minute.

Diaz’s evening ended abruptly just before half-time when he was shown a straight red card for a brutal lunge on Hakimi, who limped off in tears with a suspected ankle injury.

Long possession spells ensued for PSG in the second half, but the hosts lacked a cutting edge until the 74th minute when substitute Neves reduced the arrears with a spectacular scissor kick from Lee’s cross.

Neves came close to levelling a few minutes later with a header as PSG further increased the pressure. Despite the hosts’ late flurry, Bayern held firm.

Harry Kane says his interest in returning to the Premier League has cooled and he is willing to open talks with Bayern Munich about a new contract.

Kane is halfway through the four-year deal he signed when joining from Tottenham Hotspur for £86.4m in the summer of 2023.

The 32-year-old has scored 103 goals in 106 appearances for the German club, helping them win the 2024-25 Bundesliga title – the first honour of his career.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has said he would like to see Kane return to England, where he needs just 48 goals to eclipse Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League scoring record of 260.

But the England captain says he is no longer as keen on returning home as he once was, and would consider extending his stay in Bavaria.

“In terms of staying longer, I could definitely see that,” he said.

“I spoke openly a couple of weeks ago that I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet, but if they were to arise I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation.

“Obviously it depends on how the next year or so goes and what we achieve together. Right now, I would say we are in a fantastic moment and I am not thinking about anything else.

“In terms of the Premier League, I don’t know. If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back.

“Now I have been there a couple of years I would probably say that has gone down a little bit, but I wouldn’t say I would never go back.

“What I have learned in my career is that different opportunities and different timings happen and things fall in place. Going back to my first point with Bayern right now I am fully all in with Bayern.”

Liverpool edge thriller at Anfield in the UEFA Champions League with an injury-time winner from captain Virgil van Dijk.

Title holder Paris Saint-Germain roared to victory in the opening game of their Champions League defence, and Liverpool found yet another late winning goal in its stunning start to the season.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk soared to score with a header in the second minute of stoppage time to seal a 3-2 win against Atletico Madrid when it seemed his team was going to waste a two-goal lead seized after just six minutes.

Bayern Munich and Inter Milan both won rematches of past finals – against Chelsea and Ajax, respectively – to start their eight-game league-phase programmes, and newcomers Bodo/Glimt and Pafos impressed with hard-earned draws on the road.

PSG cruised to a 4-0 win at home over Atalanta and had the luxury of a penalty miss by Bradley Barcola not mattering much in the end.

Liverpool seemed to be sailing with early goals from Andy Robertson and a typically fine strike by Mohamed Salah, but was pegged back by Marcos Llorente’s goals in first-half stoppage time and the 81st.

Llorente also scored twice at Anfield in 2020 when Atletico eliminated the then-defending champion in the round of 16.

“We need to maybe get back to winning a bit simpler and easier,” Liverpool’s Robertson told TNT Sports after the game.

“It’s a great thing to be able to go to the end, but when you are 2-0 up, it should have been a more comfortable night.”

Bayern held off Chelsea 3-1 with two goals from Harry Kane, whose England teammate Cole Palmer scored an impressive goal for the visitors.

It was a very belated revenge for Bayern losing the 2012 final to Chelsea in its home stadium.

Inter got two powerful headed goals from Marcus Thuram in its 2-0 win at Ajax, which beat the Italians in the 1972 European Cup final.

Norway’s champion Bodo/Glimt had a second-half penalty kick saved and trailed by two goals late at Slavia Prague, before rallying to level at 2-2 in the 90th.

Pafos grinded out a 0-0 draw at Olympiakos after playing with 10 men from the 26th minute. Journeyman Brazilian midfielder Bruno Felipe was sent off for a second yellow-card foul.

Russian-owned Pafos is the first Cypriot team in the Champions League main phase since 2017, and Bodo/Glimt ended Norway’s 18-year absence.

View from SunSport’s Ken Lawrence

MARC GUEHI may be on standby to have a medical in London before his long signing-posted move to Liverpool.

Arne Slot’s mega-spending club are confident they will get their man having spent the whole summer pursuing the Crystal Palace captain.

But his arrival does not automatically mean that Joe Gomez, a £14M target of AC Milan, will be leaving.

For Liverpool continue to be deeply concerned that Ibrahima Konate will follow Trent Alexander-Arnold and leave for Real Madrid at the end of the season.

The centre back, after a difficult start to the season, played well alongside skipper Virgil van Dijk in Sunday’s 1 – 0 win over Arsenal.

But the fear within Anfield is that he already sees himself as a team mate of Alexander-Arnold by next summer.

And Guehi’s expected arrival, almost certainly as VVD’s regular partner would only further unsettle  the Frenchman, 26.

Slot needs plenty of dependable back – up cover for the centre of his rearguard and Gomez, while susceptible to injury, provided exactly that after replacing thigh-injury victim Konate against the Gunners.

Liverpool do, of course have a new Italian stallion in Giovanni Leoni, bought from Parma for £24M.

There are high hopes for him down the line and last week received his first call – up to the senior national team.

But at the age of 18 he is still seen as one for the future and won’t be pushed so Gomez could well remain as the got – to guy for Slot.

CHELSEA are interested in signing Sporting Lisbon striker Conrad Harder, according to reports.

The Blues could re-enter the transfer market for a forward following the injury suffered by Liam Delap against Fulham on Saturday.

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Enzo Maresca’s side were on the brink of loaning Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich, having deemed the 24-year-old to be surplus to requirements.

Jackson was allowed to travel to Germany for a medical yesterday, only for Chelsea to pull the plug on the deal upon Delap’s injury.

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Colombian winger scores on his competitive debut for Bayern Munich in a victory over Stuttgart in the German Supercup.

Luis Diaz, making his Bayern Munich debut, and Harry Kane scored for the reigning Bundesliga champions in a 2-1 away victory against Stuttgart in the German Supercup.

The match, which opens the German season with the league and cup winners facing off, was held for the first time since it was renamed for football legend Franz Beckenbauer, who died in 2024.

A year into their attacking partnership, Michael Olise and Kane were again Bayern’s most dangerous pairing, combining for the opener with 18 minutes played.

Off balance and falling, Kane collected Olise’s pass and hit a low shot across the grass and into the bottom corner for his 86th goal in his 97th Bayern appearance.

Pushed on by a 60,000-strong home crowd, Stuttgart went looking for an equaliser late in the second half, but Bayern broke through on the counter, with Diaz heading in from close range in the 77th minute.

Diaz – who joined Bayern from Liverpool last month and remains the club’s biggest deal of the offseason – ran to the corner post and sat on the grass, mimicking former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota’s video-game celebration.

It was the latest tribute for Portugal winger Jota, who died in a car accident in July.

Stuttgart pulled a goal back through Jamie Leweling in stoppage time.

The win netted Kane a second team trophy of his career after the 32-year-old broke his duck to win the Bundesliga last season.

Praising his charges for a “deserved win”, Bayern captain Joshua Kimmich said the victory would set the tone for the season.

“We wanted to show everyone that we’re here. Wins and titles are not a given – we have to appreciate them,” Kimmich told Germany’s Sat 1 network.

Bayern open the Bundesliga season on Friday at home against Leipzig, while Stuttgart face Union Berlin in the German capital a day later.

German football club to shift away from ‘Visit Rwanda’ sponsorship after criticism from fans.

Bayern Munich has signalled it will cut down on “Visit Rwanda” branding as it moves “away from a commercial sponsorship” with the African nation facing a backlash over alleged support for rebels in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Bayern dismissed allegations of “sportswashing” when it signed a five-year deal with Rwanda in 2023. It included advertisements in the stadium and what Bayern called events “to promote tourism and investment opportunities in Rwanda”.

At the time, it replaced a sponsorship deal with Qatar. Rwanda has similar sponsorships with European football giants like Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid.

Some Bayern fans displayed a large banner at a game in February protesting against the deal amid accusations from the United Nations that Rwanda has backed rebels in the DRC.

Now the German football champions say they have reached a new deal with Rwanda that turns the existing sponsorship into a three-year agreement focusing on developing young football players at a Bayern-affiliated academy in the country.

“In constructive talks about our future direction, we agreed that a very special part of our relationship with [the Rwanda Development Board (RDB)] was the developmental nature of our work in Kigali through the FC Bayern Academy,” Bayern Chief Executive Jan-Christian Dreesen said on Friday in a statement.

“We are therefore transforming our commercial partnership into a talent programme and expanding the FC Bayern Academy in Kigali together with the RDB as both a football and social initiative. This remains perfectly aligned to our strategic objective of developing playing talent in Africa.”

Bayern didn’t specify how soon it would drop “Visit Rwanda” branding as part of the move, which it described as a transition. As of Friday afternoon, the branding was still displayed under a section of the Bayern website listing club sponsors and partners.

RDB Chief Executive Jean-Guy Afrika was quoted by Bayern as saying the changes to the partnership aimed to “accelerate sports development”, adding: “This continued partnership with FC Bayern helps ensure that talent development remains anchored in our broader vision to position Rwanda as a global hub for tourism, investment, and high-performance sport.”

Rwanda’s presence in European football has grown steadily since 2018 when it first partnered with Arsenal to put “Visit Rwanda” branding on the London club’s shirt sleeves.

An agreement with PSG was signed in 2019 and renewed in April this year. It covers branding in the stadium and included shirt-sleeve sponsorship at the Club World Cup. A three-year deal to sponsor Atletico was agreed in April, including branding on training and warm-up shirts.

Rwanda is accused of supporting the M23 rebel group, the strongest of more than 100 armed groups vying for dominance in the mineral-rich eastern DRC just across the border from Rwanda. Rwanda also has been accused of exploiting the eastern DRC’s minerals, used in smartphones, advanced fighter jets and much more.

Rwandan authorities alleged that some of the people who participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide fled to the DRC and are either working with or are being protected by the Congolese army. They have denied involvement in the DRC’s minerals sector and said any security action taken is to protect its own territory.

He will officially join the club upon receipt of his international transfer certificate (ITC), visa and work permit.

“I’m looking forward to coming to Vancouver to help this team win a championship,” said Muller, who started his youth career at Bayern in 2000 and led them to two Champions League and 13 Bundesliga titles.

“I’ve heard great things about the city, but first and foremost I’m coming to win. I’ve had great conversations with [sporting director] Axel Schuster and [head coach] Jesper Sorensen, and now I can’t wait to play in front of the supporters and to see all of the fans come out to BC Place as we head towards the play-offs.”

Muller also made 131 appearances for Germany, scoring 45 goals, and lifted the 2014 World Cup after winning the Golden Boot as top scorer of the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

Vancouver are currently second, a point behind San Diego, in the Western Conference with 10 regular season matches remaining.

Désiré Doué scored in the 78th minute, and Paris Saint-Germain moved a step closer to another trophy with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup on Saturday, a game marred by a gruesome injury to young German star Jamal Musiala.

With PSG two men down after a pair of late red cards and Bayern throwing everyone forward, Ousmane Dembélé added an insurance goal deep into stoppage time to send the French powerhouse on to the semifinals Wednesday.

Dembélé, whose goal was set up by Achraf Hakimi’s brilliant dribbling through five Bayern defenders, celebrated by sitting with his legs crossed to honor Liverpool player Diogo Jota, who was killed along with his brother in a car wreck early Thursday. A moment of silence was held before the opening kick.

“We do what we have to do to take the victory,” Hakimi said. “We are really happy. We know Bayern is one of the teams that plays similarly to us. They are a strong team. It was a really good effort today, a really good game.”

PSG, which claimed its first Champions League title with a 5-0 rout of Inter Milan five weeks ago, broke a scoreless deadlock when João Neves stole the ball from Harry Kane near the halfway line to send the French team sprinting toward the Bayern goal.

Neves got the ball back off a give-and-go and found Doué lurking just outside the top of the area. His left-footed shot caught Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer flat-footed as it skidded inside the right post.

But PSG had to hold on for dear life to preserve the win after Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernández were both sent off with red cards. Pacho was called for a reckless challenge and Hernandez earned red for doling out an elbow.

Bayern had two apparent goals flagged for offside, including a header by Kane. In the waning seconds, the German club was awarded a penalty kick, only to have it waved off after a video review.

Musiala’s injury marred the outcome. As he chased a loose ball near the end line in first-half stoppage time, PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma darted off his spot and dived for it — only to crash into the left ankle of the 22-year-old German.

As Musiala rolled over, his foot dangled awkwardly, the ankle appearing to be cleanly broken.

Donnarumma walked away with the ball but kneeled down in horror when he looked back and realized the seriousness of the injury.

A stretcher was immediately summoned to take Musiala off the field.

Real Madrid beats Borussia Dortmund

Kylian Mbappé’s spectacular bicycle kick was among three goals in second-half stoppage time, and Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a Club World Cup quarterfinal match as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois used his fingertips to palm away the potential tying goal on the game’s final play.

Gonzalo García and Fran García scored in the first 20 minutes as Madrid built a 2-0 lead.

Courtois used all of the lengthy arm on his 6-foot-7 frame to tip away Marcel Sabitzer’s shot just before the final whistle.

Chelsea wins, reaches semifinal

Chelsea scored the go-ahead goal on Malo Gusto’s 83rd-minute shot that went in after a pair of deflections, beating Brazilian club Palmeiras 2-1 on Friday night in Philadelphia for a spot in the Club World Cup semifinals. Chelsea will meet Fluminense on Tuesday at noon.

PSG will face either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in the semifinals after winning a lively game against the German champions.

Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain moved a step closer to another trophy with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup, a game marred by a gruesome injury to young German star Jamal Musiala.

After Desire Doue broke the deadlock with a 78th-minute strike in Atlanta on Saturday, PSG soon found themselves down to nine men after a pair of late red cards.

But with Bayern throwing everyone forward in search of an equaliser, Ousmane Dembele added an insurance goal deep into stoppage time to send the French powerhouse into the semifinals, where they will face either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in New Jersey on Wednesday.
PSG’s keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made a pair of exceptional first-half saves.

In the 27th minute, he sprang to his right to parry Michael Olise’s goal-bound effort from just beyond the corner of the six-yard box. In the 41st, he sprawled the opposite direction to keep Aleksandar Pavlovic’s effort, an intended early cross that was inches in front of Musiala near the penalty spot, from creeping inside the right post.

Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer was also called into action during the first half, thwarting Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s effort from close range at the near post with an outstretched arm in the 32nd minute. Four minutes into the second half, he dove left to deny Bradley Barcola on the break.

But Musiala’s sickening injury marred the end of the half. As he chased a loose ball near the byline in first-half stoppage time, Donnarumma darted off his spot and dived for it, only to crash into the left ankle of the 22-year-old German.

As Musiala rolled over, his foot dangled awkwardly, the ankle appearing to be cleanly broken.

Donnarumma walked away with the ball, but knelt down in horror when he looked back and realised the seriousness of the injury. A stretcher was immediately summoned to take Musiala off the field.

Both teams walked towards the locker rooms in stunned silence, with the PSG keeper appearing to be close to tears. He was booed throughout the second half by Bayern fans each time he touched the ball.

PSG, which claimed their first Champions League title with a 5-0 rout of Inter Milan five weeks ago, broke the impasse late in the second half when Joao Neves stole the ball from Harry Kane near the halfway line to send the French team sprinting towards the Bayern goal.

Neves got the ball back off a give-and-go and found Doue lurking just outside the top of the area. His left-footed shot caught Neuer flat-footed as it skidded inside the right post.

But PSG had to hold on for dear life to preserve the win after Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez were both sent off with red cards.

Referee Anthony Taylor dismissed Pacho in the 82nd minute for his dangerous challenge on Bayern’s Thomas Muller, and sent off Hernandez in the second minute of second-half stoppage time for an elbow in the face of Raphael Guerreiro.

Bayern had two goals overruled for offside in the game, including a late header by Kane.

As Bayern pressed for an equaliser, PSG broke on a counterattack and Dembele doubled their advantage deep into stoppage time following some brilliant setup work by Achraf Hakimi, who beat three defenders, then fed Dembele for a first-time low finish that left Neuer little chance.

In the waning seconds, the German club was awarded a penalty kick, only to have it waved off after a video review.

PSG’s captain, Marquinhos, lauded PSG’s attitude to see out the game.

“It is always difficult to play with two fewer players, but today, the team showed the attitude and desire to get the job done,” Marquinhos told DAZN.

“That second goal was really important, especially in a huge competition like this.”

PSG right back Hakimi said his side had beaten one of the best teams in the competition and a big “rival”.

“We are really happy and proud of the team effort. We had a tough team against us, I think we did what we had to do to take the victory,” Hakimi told DAZN.

Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain face German giants Bayern Munich in FIFA’s Club World Cup quarterfinals.

Who: PSG vs Bayern Munich
What: FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When: Saturday, July 4 at 12pm (16:00 GMT)

How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 9am local (13:00 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Fresh from lifting the UEFA Champions League for the first time, Paris Saint-Germain will continue their plight for a first FIFA Club World Cup when they face German giants Bayern Munich.

The Parisian lifted both the French league and cup along with their European success this season, while Bayern won their 34th Bundesliga title.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the all-European clash for a place in the final four.

How did PSG reach the quarterfinals?

PSG lost their final group stage match 1–0 to Brazil’s Botafogo, but progressed with earlier wins against Atletico Madrid and Seattle Sounders.

A meeting with former star Lionel Messi awaited in the round of 16, where the Parisians beat Inter Miami 4-0 with Joao Neves netting twice.

How did Bayern Munich reach the quarterfinals?

The Germans opened with a 10-0 thrashing of New Zealand side Auckland City, before confirming their progress with a 2-1 win against Argentina’s Boca Juniors.

Benfica shocked Bayern with a 1-0 win in the final group-stage match, which left the Munich-based club to face Flamengo in the round of 16.

Bayern raced into an early two-goal lead before running out 4-2 winners with a Harry Kane double.

Have Bayern Munich won the Club World Cup?

Yes. Bayern had lifted FIFA’s club competition on two occasions – beating Morocco’s Raja Casablanca in 2013 and UANL of Mexico in 2020.

Who will PSG or Bayern face in the semifinal?

The winner of this match will play the winner of quarterfinal four – between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund – in the last four.

The final quarterfinal match follows the conclusion of the PSG and Bayern tie, and will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Head-to-head

This is the 15th meeting between the sides, with Bayern winning eight and PSG six of the matchups so far.

Their first meeting came in 1994, with PSG winning both matches in the Champions League group stages.

The teams were also pitted together in the 2020 UEFA Champions League final in Lisbon, with Bayern winning 1-0 thanks to a header from former PSG player Kingsley Coman.

PSG team news

PSG could hand Ousmane Dembele his first start of the tournament, following his substitute appearance in the 4-0 win against Inter Miami.

Bayern Munich team news

Jamal Musiala managed 18 minutes after coming on as a substitute in the win against Flamengo and could feature once again as he continues his comeback from injury.

Leroy Sane has left the club, having completed his move to Galatasaray, while Coman could miss out with a knock.

PSG coach Luis Enrique’s pre-match thoughts

“At this stage of the competition, it will be difficult no matter who the opponent is. Now is the time to think about resting, we need to prepare well for the match, but we have the time to do so. We’re very happy.”

Bayern striker Harry Kane’s pre-match thoughts

“We have to believe [we can win the Club World Cup] for sure. We’re going up against a tough opponent in the next round, no doubt, Champions League winners. We have to be ready for that, but we feel like, on our day, we can beat anyone. It would be a dream come true to go all the way and win it, but there’s games before that.”

Possible PSG starting lineup

Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos (C), Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Ruiz, Vitinha; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia

Possible Bayern Munich starting lineup

Neuer (C); Laimer, Tah, Upamecano, Stanisic; Goretzka, Kimmich; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane

Harry Kane scores two goals as German giants oust yet another determined South American team from the Club World Cup.

Bayern Munich have overcome a determined resistance from Flamengo to book their place in the Club World Cup quarterfinals with an entertaining 4-2 victory in their round of 16 clash.

Harry Kane scored twice as the German giants became the latest European team to knock out their South American counterparts from the global cup competition on Sunday, prompting Flamengo coach Filipe Luis to say the football elite “remain in Europe”.

Vincent Kompany’s side will now play European champions Paris Saint-Germain in Atlanta on Saturday for a place in the last four.

Flamengo, backed by a huge and passionate following at Hard Rock Stadium, bowed out of the tournament despite a performance of real determination from Luis’s team.

Joshua Kimmich opened the scoring for Bayern in the sixth minute, and the score was doubled four minutes later as Kane bagged his first.

Bayern looked like they were going to run away with the game but the three-time Copa Libertadores champions were able to find a foothold.

Flamengo were rewarded for their efforts in the 33rd minute when after the dangerous Luiz Araujo played the ball in from the left, the ball fell to Gerson who unleashed a thunderbolt which rocketed past Neuer to bring the bulk of the 60,914 crowd to their feet.

But all that good work from the Rio team was undone four minutes before the break when Araujo’s poor clearance landed straight at the feet of Leon Goretzka who had the time and space to settle himself before, from more than 20 yards out, placing his shot into the corner to make it 3-1.

Flamengo came out determined to respond once again and they reduced the deficit again in the 55th minute when Michael Olise handled a cross from Giorgian de Arrascaeta at close range and Jorginho took advantage of the opportunity with an ice-cool conversion.

The contest was finally settled in the 73rd minute when Konrad Laimer won the ball in midfield and fed Kimmich who, in turn, slipped the ball through to Kane, who confidently beat Agustin Rossi with one of his trademark precision and power drives.

‘European teams have the best Brazilian players’

Later, Luis said the football elite remained in Europe as he doffed his cap to Bayern’s killer touch.

“It’s up to us to simply recognise the superiority of our opponent. They are very good, we knew that. At this level, any mistake is fatal. Those who deserved to go through got through,” he said.

“Our plan did work and we were able to apply pressure and create goal-scoring opportunities, but they were better than us; we’re playing against the football elite. If Vinicius Jr had not left for Real Madrid, we would have the best player in the world.

“They [South American players] want to be in the elite and that’s what they are, had we won today and the tournament, it would not change the reality – they’re high-quality teams. We have many Brazilian players in our teams, but they [the European teams] have the best ones. They have better players – that’s a fact.”

European teams were expected to dominate the expanded Club World Cup but sometimes struggled in the group phase while all Brazilian teams advanced and made an impression.

Bayern, however, restored a measure of what the European football establishment would call “order” ahead of Inter Milan’s clash with Brazil’s Fluminense, also in the last 16. Palmeiras progressed by beating fellow Brazilian side Botafogo on Saturday.

Benfica beat Bayern Munich, but both sides progress from Group C, while minnows Auckland draw 1-1 with Boca Juniors.

Chelsea have entered the FIFA Club World Cup knockouts after beating Esperance of Tunisia 3-0 and will play their last-16 tie against Benfica, who defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 earlier in searing heat.

Chelsea eased through with a clinical 3-0 win over Esperance at Lincoln Financial Field in Group D in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

New signing Liam Delap opened his account for the club with a deftly taken finish in stoppage time at the end of the first half, just moments after Tosin Adarabioyo had headed the Blues in front.

Teenage talent Tyrique George added Chelsea’s third deep into injury time at the end of the game with a low shot that crept under Esperance goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said.

Flamengo, who had already assured themselves of top spot in the section after wins over Chelsea and Esperance, wrapped up their first-round campaign with a 1-1 draw against already eliminated LAFC in Orlando.

Los Angeles forward Denis Bouanga threatened to give the MLS side an upset win in their final game of the tournament after a cool finish in the 84th minute, only for Wallace Yan to equalise for Flamengo two minutes later.

In Charlotte, Andreas Schjelderup scored the only goal for Benfica in their Group C clash with Bayern in front of 33,287 fans, finishing first-time from a cutback by his fellow Norwegian Fredrik Aursnes in the 13th minute.

The German champions, who left the likes of Harry Kane and Michael Olise on the bench at kickoff, were unable to come back in sweltering afternoon conditions in heatwave-hit North Carolina.

Kane and Olise came on at half-time, and Bayern did then look more dangerous, but Leroy Sane was denied when clean through by Benfica’s Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.

A draw would have allowed Bayern to top the section, but a Kimmich effort that found the net was ruled out for offside, and Trubin denied Sane again while Kane mistimed a header late on.

It was Benfica’s first-ever win in 14 competitive meetings with Bayern, and it meant they finished first and will next play Group D runners-up Chelsea in Charlotte in the last 16 on Saturday.

‘Tiny club with a huge heart’

That result meant whatever Boca did against Auckland City in Nashville would not be enough to qualify, but the Argentinian giants were still expected to do better than draw 1-1 against the tournament minnows from New Zealand.

Auckland had lost 10-0 to Bayern and 6-0 to Benfica, but this time they recovered from falling behind in the first half when goalkeeper Nathan Garrow palmed a Lautaro Di Lollo header into his own net.

Christian Gray equalised with a header in the second half to earn the sole representatives from Oceania a remarkable point.

“You can’t say we haven’t learned from the experience of being at the tournament. I’m thrilled for the players and the club; it’s wonderful. It’s something to go home with,” said City coach Paul Posa.

“We’re a tiny club with a huge heart, and that’s evident for all to see.”

The game was the fifth so far at the tournament to be suspended due to a weather warning, with play stopping for almost an hour. When the action restarted, not a drop of rain had fallen at Geodis Park.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, FIFA opened a disciplinary investigation into Pachuca’s Gustavo Cabral after allegations he made a racist comment to Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger.

The incident came towards the end of Sunday’s game between the two teams, which Real won 3-1.

German giants Bayern Munich beat Argentina’s Boca Juniors 2-1 to seal progress at FIFA Club World Cup.

Michael Olise’s 84th-minute goal was enough to give Bayern Munich a 2-1 win over Boca Juniors in Miami Gardens, as the reigning German champions clinched a spot in the knockout phase of the Club World Cup.

After a scramble in the penalty area, Harry Kane sent the ball back to Olise, who blasted a shot into the bottom left corner of the net.

Boca had levelled Friday’s match in the 66th minute on a goal from Miguel Merentiel after Kane gave Bayern a first-half lead.

Bayern (2-0-0, 6 points) faced a much stiffer test than in their Group C opener, a 10-0 rout of semi-pro Auckland City (0-2-0, 0 points).

Boca Juniors (0-1-1, 1 point) still have a chance to advance, but they would need to rout Auckland City on Tuesday in Nashville and have Benfica (1-0-1, 4 points) lose to Bayern the same day in Charlotte.

For Boca’s tying goal, Alan Velasco delivered a pass from midfield into space for Merentiel to chase.

Merentiel beat Bayern defender Jonathan Tah to the ball, then rounded defender Josip Stanisic before firing a 12-yard, right-footed shot over the head of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and into the net.

Bayern also produced an impressive goal. Konrad Laimer fired an entry pass to the centre of the Boca penalty area.

Kingsley Coman knocked the ball back to Kane, who took a heavy touch but still reached the ball in time to fire in a 12-yard shot with his left foot.

Who: Bayern Munich (Germany) vs Boca Juniors (Argentina)
What: FIFA Club World Cup, Group C, Matchday 2
Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, United States
When: Kickoff is at 9pm on Friday (01:00 GMT on Saturday)

How to follow our coverage: We’ll have all the build-up from 5pm local (21:00 GMT on Friday) on Al Jazeera Sport.

Group C leaders Bayern Munich clash with Argentina mega club Boca Juniors in the second matchday for each side at the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) in the United States.

Victory for Bayern would ensure they qualify for the knockout stages, beginning on June 28.

After a draw in their opening match, Boca Juniors have it all to play for if they also want to progress to the last 16 of the tournament and will need to defeat Bayern to draw level on points at the top of Group C.

How did Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors fare in their opening Group C fixtures?

Bayern Munich began their campaign in record-breaking fashion, becoming the first team to score double digits in a single CWC game when they thumped Auckland City 10-0 on Sunday.

German international Jamal Musiala marked his return from injury with a brilliant second-half hat-trick in a commanding team display.

Boca Juniors played out a 2-2 draw with Benfica on Monday in a feisty encounter that resulted in three red cards.

The Buenos Aires side were ahead 2-0 just before half-time but let the three points slip after squandering the lead to the Portuguese side.

Why were Boca’s Ander Herrera and Nicolas Figal given harsh suspensions?

Boca Juniors players Ander Herrera and Nicolas Figal were handed four-match bans by FIFA after being sent off in their CWC opener, a spokesperson for the Argentinian club said on Wednesday.

Boca disagreed with the sanctions imposed on their players after Benfica’s Andrea Belotti received a two-match ban for catching Ayrton Costa in the head with a high boot in the 72nd minute.

“We have already contacted FIFA to submit an appeal,” a club spokesperson said.

Spanish midfielder Herrera, who was subbed off due to a muscle injury, was shown a red card in the 45th minute after protesting to Mexican referee Cesar Ramos from the bench over a penalty awarded to the Portuguese side.

Defender Figal was sent off in the 88th minute with a straight red card for a foul on Florentino Luis when the match was tied at 2-2.

Have Bayern and Boca ever played before?

The teams last met on November 27, 2001, in the knockout stage of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in Tokyo, Japan.

The contest was billed as a clash of the super clubs between the then-two-time Copa Libertadores champion Boca Juniors taking on the might of the newly crowned UEFA Champions League winners, Bayern Munich.

Bayern beat Boca 1-0 in extra time courtesy of a 109th minute strike by Samuel Kuffour.

Friday’s match will be only the fourth time they’ve played in 100 years.

Team News: Bayern Munich

Out: Hiroki Ito (metatarsal fracture), Alphonso Davies (cruciate ligament tear), Kim Min-jae (foot injury)
Doubtful: none

Manager Vincent Kompany has a full squad available to him and is expected to field a similar starting XI to the side that thrashed Auckland.

Star forward Harry Kane, who failed to score in the goal fest against Auckland City, is again expected to lead the line.

Team News: Boca Juniors

Out: Sergio Romero (knee injury)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: Herrera, Figal

Boca Juniors manager Miguel Russo has two large holes to fill with former Manchester United star Herrera and Figal both suspended until the semifinal stage of the tournament.

Tomas Belmonte replaced Herrera in the midfield against Benfica and is a near-certainty to get the start in the key central midfield role. Figal’s role in the back four will likely be occupied by Marcos Rojo.

Russo is expected to deploy the same 4-2-3-1 set-up, just as he did against Benfica.

Possible lineups:

Bayern Munich: Neuer; Laimer, Tah, Upamecano, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Musiala, Coman; Kane

Boca Juniors: Marchesin; Advincula, Rojo, Costa, Blanco; Belmonte, Battaglia; Zenon, Velasco, Palacios; Zeballos

Form guide

Bayern Munich (all competitions, most recent first):

W-W-D-W-W

Boca Juniors (all competitions, most recent first):

W-L-D-W-L

Where will the match be played?

The match will be played at the 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

The venue is home to the legendary Miami Dolphins NFL franchise and stages the Miami Tennis Open annually.

What the teams had to say

Manuela Neuer, Bayern Munich goalkeeper:

“We’re definitely expecting a good atmosphere. We saw how the match against Benfica went,” Neuer told fcbayern.com.

“We’re getting more and more focused as the game approaches. In terms of analysis of the opposition too, we know exactly what we’ll need in the match. We keep increasing the intensity before reducing it a little on the day before the match because the temperatures too play a role.”

Miguel Russo, Boca Juniors manager:

“We have to be up to the task. It will be a physical match like [against Benfica].

“They’re [Bayern Munich are] a big opponent. Historically, they’ve won a lot. But Argentine football is big too. … We welcome these challenges. But we have to know that Friday’s game will be tougher than today’s [vs Benfica].”

How much is the prize money for the Club World Cup?

The total prize pot is $1bn with the champions earning up to $125m.

About half of the $1bn will be divided between the 32 clubs with the amount per club based on sporting and commercial criteria. It means that clubs such as Manchester City and Real Madrid will receive a greater percentage than smaller clubs in a model FIFA developed with the European Club Association.

A further $475m will be awarded on a performance-related basis. Hence, the team with the most wins over a potential seven matches will bank more cash with a maximum pot of $125m available.

The only OFC team competing in the Club World Cup, Auckland qualified for the Club World Cup as the best OFC Champions League winners over the ranking period between 2021 and 2024.

They have dominated their continental competition in recent years, winning it 13 times since 2006.

They won four and drew one of their five games in the most recent edition of the tournament, scoring 13 goals and conceding just twice.

Reflecting on Sunday’s defeat, Auckland’s interim coach Ivan Vicelich said: “This [result] is the reality of football against one of the world’s top teams.

“It’s a dream for players coming from an amateur level to play in this environment. We knew it was going to be a very difficult game, playing against one of the top teams in the world – potentially one of the favourites – so we’re just really proud of the players’ efforts.”

Bayern boss Vincent Kompany added: “We have to remain modest, but it was important to be able to say that we took the game seriously.

“It was a good first match at the tournament, but of course challengers are going to grow and it’s going to become more difficult.”

The Bundesliga champions take on Argentine giants Boca Juniors in their next Group C encounter on Friday local in Miami (Saturday 02:00 BST).

“A traditional game from Europe against a traditional team from South America – even if I weren’t Bayern coach, I’d have attended this game,” said Kompany. “It will be special.”