Bayern Munich made a ruthless statement in their opening match at the Club World Cup on Sunday, thrashing amateur side Auckland City 10–0 in Cincinnati. Jamal Musiala stole the spotlight with a second-half hat-trick after coming off the bench.
The German champions showed no mercy against the New Zealand minnows, with Kingsley Coman, Michael Olise, and Thomas Müller each bagging a brace, while Sacha Boey also got on the scoresheet in the Group C clash, which includes Boca Juniors and Benfica.
Star striker Harry Kane started the match but failed to find the net before being substituted just after the hour mark. His replacement, Musiala, scored three times in 18 minutes, including one from the penalty spot after he was fouled.
“We have to remain modest, but it was important to show that we approached this game seriously,” Bayern manager Vincent Kompany said post-match. “It was a good start, but the challenges will only get tougher from here.”
The match was a walkover for Bayern, who raced to a 6–0 halftime lead. Coman opened the scoring in the 6th minute — the tournament’s first goal — followed by strikes from Boey and Olise. Coman added his second in the 21st minute, while Müller and Olise capped off the first-half dominance, with the latter’s curling left-footed finish earning goal-of-the-day plaudits.
– Musiala magic –
Auckland City, who have won the Oceania Champions League a record 13 times, managed to contain Bayern briefly in the second half — until Musiala’s introduction. The 21-year-old midfielder quickly took control, completing his hat-trick and making a strong case for more minutes in the coming fixtures.
Müller, who is set to depart Bayern after the tournament, scored the 10th and final goal in the 89th minute — his 250th for the club.
The result highlighted the vast gulf between Europe’s elite and Auckland City’s part-time squad, whose players had to take unpaid leave to travel to the U.S.
“This is the reality of football when facing one of the best teams in the world,” said Auckland City’s interim coach Ivan Vicelich. “It’s been a dream experience for our players, even if the result was tough.”
Bayern, two-time winners of the Club World Cup (2013, 2020), now turn their attention to Boca Juniors, whom they face in Miami on Friday. Auckland City will look to salvage pride against Benfica in Orlando earlier that same day.
AFP
