While simply advancing is the main goal, Bayern’s second-place finish in Group C has left them on the tougher side of the Club World Cup bracket.
Vincent Kompany’s side may have avoided a clash with Chelsea for now, but Flamengo, arguably the form team of the tournament, are no easy opponent. And if Bayern manage to get through, a likely showdown with Paris Saint-Germain awaits in the quarterfinals.
It’s a situation Bayern could have easily avoided. All they needed was a draw against Benfica on matchday three. Instead, they lost 1–0 and slipped into second place.
After early wins over Auckland City and Boca Juniors, Bayern had already secured a knockout spot. Kompany rested most of his starters in the heat of the U.S. against Benfica, a calculated risk that ended with their first loss since April, when they fell to Inter Milan in the Champions League.
That slip-up might come back to bite them. The two-time Club World Cup winners had been hoping to add another title to their 2013 and 2020 triumphs.
Flamengo, meanwhile, enter the knockout stage flying high. With seven points from the group, Filipe Luís’s side topped their group with ease. Wins over Esperance Tunis and Chelsea sealed first place early, and even a heavily rotated squad managed a draw against LAFC.
The Brazilian side is now unbeaten in 11 games with eight wins in that stretch. Though they might have preferred a matchup with Benfica or Boca Juniors, confidence is high, especially after their emphatic 3–1 win over Chelsea.
They may not play the flashiest football, but Flamengo get the job done. Luís has stamped his identity on the team, which has conceded just two goals in the group stage and allowed only one shot with an xG above 0.2.
They’ve also had some of the best support in the tournament, with 54,000 fans showing up for the Chelsea match, and the Hard Rock Stadium will likely be rocking again as Flamengo look to knock out another giant.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Nicolas de la Cruz is the only player missing for Flamengo, who are expected to bring back several key starters for this match after Luis heavily rotated the squad against LAFC.Gerson, Erick Pulgar, and Jorginho should return to the midfield, while Ayrton Lucas and Leo Pereira are set to rejoin a defense that has looked solid throughout the tournament. Gonzalo Plata is also expected to start.
The spotlight will likely be on Giorgian De Arrascaeta. The top scorer in the Brasileiro this season with nine goals in nine games, he’s carried that form into the tournament, scoring on matchday one just days after a crucial goal for Uruguay in World Cup qualifying.
Bayern are also expected to make several changes after resting many of their regulars on matchday three.
Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Kingsley Coman are likely to return as the starting front three. Jonathan Tah is expected to slot back into the defense, and this could be the moment for Jamal Musiala to make his first start of the tournament.
However, Bayern will still be without defenders Kim Min-jae, Alphonso Davies, and Hiroki Ito due to injury. Eric Dier also remains unavailable as he wasn’t named in their Club World Cup squad.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Flamengo possible starting lineup:Rossi; Wesley Franca, Danilo, Leo Pereira, Ayrton Lucas; Pulgar, Jorginho, Gerson; De Arrascaeta, Plata, Luiz Araujo
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Laimer, Tah, Upamecano, Guerreiro; Goretzka, Kimmich; Olise, Musiala, Coman; Kane
EXPERT PREDICTION
Flamengo 2-1 Bayern Munich
Bayern certainly have the talent to advance, but Flamengo will have the advantage of freshness, with their season only kicking off earlier this year. It wouldn’t be a shock if this turns out to be the standout result of the round.
