Michael Olise propelled Bayern Munich into the knockout stages of the Club World Cup, scoring the decisive goal in the 84th minute to secure a 2-1 victory over Boca Juniors on Friday night.
The German champions recorded their second win in Group C, clinching a spot in the round of 16 with a game still to play.
Olise’s goal at Hard Rock Stadium came after Miguel Merentiel had leveled the score with a stunning solo effort in the 66th minute, giving Boca Juniors hope for a draw.
Bayern took the lead early through Harry Kane’s precise finish in the 18th minute and controlled much of the match, though they missed several chances before Merentiel’s equalizer.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, we knew we were coming into a hostile environment, hot weather, it was tough,” Kane said. “It’s a massive tournament. We are playing against the best teams in the world. We just have to compete to our highest level and we should be able to beat most teams.”
The win, however, came at a price.
Bayern’s star midfielder Jamal Musiala was forced off injured just 25 minutes after coming on and was replaced by veteran Thomas Müller in the 82nd minute.
The exact nature of Musiala’s injury is still unknown. The 22-year-old had been recovering from a torn hamstring earlier in the Bundesliga season.
Boca Juniors still have a chance to advance, but they must thrash Auckland City in their next match on Tuesday and hope Benfica lose to Bayern on the same day.
“We have to find a way (to advance). A draw would’ve been great but it’s up to us to compete and do our best and I would not be surprised if that happened,” said Boca coach Miguel Angel Russo.
