Thursday night saw European and German champions Bayern Munich go head to head with Mexican side Tigres UANL from Monterrey who qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup through their maiden CONCACAF title.
Under Hansi Flick, Bayern have been on a tear winning their last six games in all competitions. For the Final, Flick was forced to shuffle his pack with Thomas Müller missing out due to testing positive for Covid-19. In came Leroy Sané to join Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry in supporting goal machine Robert Lewandowski, who’s goals helped the Bavarians reach the Final.
Niklas Süle and Lucas Hernandez were deployed at center back with Jérôme Boateng dropping out due to personal reasons and David Alaba moving into midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich, with Spaniard Marc Roca dropping to the bench.
For Tigres, legendary Mexican Clausura manager Ricardo Ferretti named an unchanged side keeping his 4-4-2 formation after defeating Brazilian side Palmeiras. André-Pierre Gignac, the side’s talisman and best player lined up alongside Paraguayan Carlos González in attack, the French man scoring the winner in the last round and having scored 17 goals in 23 games this year.
Mexican international Carlos Salcedo, who has played in Europe with both Fiorentina and Eintracht Frankfurt lined up in the heart of the defense with compatriot Diego Reyes who has also returned home after a European excursion taking him from Porto to Fenerbahce.
Our Club World Cup XI ?⚪
— ???FC Bayern English??? (@FCBayernEN) February 11, 2021
Packmas, boys! ?#FinalMissi6n pic.twitter.com/UkD7cgXm6r
Both sides started quite tentatively, with the Mexican side looking to sit deep and counter through their two front men. Lewandowski missed a good early chance after receiving a quick ball to his feet from midfield by Alaba and although he controlled it the bounce from the pitch was not accommodating and he scuffed his effort through to goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán.
Bayern thought they had taken the lead when Kimmich fired home an excellent strike. The German midfielder collected the ball just in from the right hand side and flashed in a shot across the goal into the far corner. Lewandowski though was stood in an offside position having to move out of the way of the strike in order for the ball to go in, with VAR confirming the goal needed to be disallowed.
That was to be the only real moment of danger in the first half as it ended goalless.
The second half began much as the first, with Tigres deploying a deep defensive line and preventing the space that Gnabry, Coman and co thrive on.
Bayern did open the scoring after a long VAR check. A cross into the box from Kimmich was challenged by both Lewandowski and the goalkeeper Guzmán, with the ball ricocheting back to Benjamin Pavard who turned it home.
The goal was initially ruled out for offside but after the VAR check they adjudged the striker to be on side and the goal was given.
As the pitch began to cut up, Hansi Flick made a number of changes bringing on Corentin Tolisso, Douglas Costa, Jamal Musiala and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to keep his side fresh and the Mexican opponents at bay.
Bayern nearly added a second through Tolisso. The high press of the new forwards forced a Tigres mistake playing out from the back and Musiala fed the Frenchman who took aim from just outside the box. The shot flicked up off the turf and Guzmán managed to get something on the strike turning it onto the post.
Tigres tried to get forward in the last 10 minutes but did not have the energy or pace to trouble the Bayern defence and the German side saw home the victory in comfortable style, completing for them a clean sweep of all available trophies.
To everyone in our FC Bayern family, this wouldn't have been possible without you!
— ???FC Bayern English??? (@FCBayernEN) February 11, 2021
Sextuple winners together ❤️#MiaSanChampi6ns pic.twitter.com/i6wv2WgXDp
MATCH REPORT
February 11, 2021 – FIFA Club World Cup 2021 Final
BAYERN MUNICH-TIGRES UANL 1-0
SCORER: 59′ Pavard
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BAYERN MUNICH (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Süle, Pavard, Davies, Hernández; Alaba, Kimmich; Gnabry (64′ Tolisso), Lewandowski (73′ Choupo-Moting), Sané (73′ Musiala); Coman (Schneller, Hoffmann, Sarr, Roca, Tiago Dantas, Douglas Costa) Coach: Flick |
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TIGRES UANL (4-4-2): Guzmán; Salcedo, Reyes, Rodríguez, Rafael Carioca; Pizarro, Aquino, Dueñas, Gignac; L. Quiñónes (80′ Fernandez), González (Chávez, Delgado, Ayala, Sánchez Purata, Cruz, Meza, Sierra, Fulgencio, Ávalos, J. Quiñones, Ogama) Coach: Ferretti |
REFEREE: Ostojich (Uruguay)
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Dueñas, Rodrìguez (T); Extra Time: 1st Half 1′, 2nd Half 3′