Bayern Munich wasted no time making a statement at the FIFA Club World Cup as they overwhelmed New Zealand’s Auckland City with a crushing 10-0 win in their Group C opener at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday.
The German giants had little trouble asserting their dominance against the amateur side from Oceania. Kingsley Coman opened the scoring just six minutes into the match, with Bayern already 4-0 up before the 22-minute mark.
Coman, Michael Olise, and veteran forward Thomas Mueller all finished with two goals apiece, while full-back Sacha Boey also got on the scoresheet.
Harry Kane led the line from the start but did not find the net before being substituted in the second half. His replacement, Jamal Musiala, became the star of the show in the final stretch. The 21-year-old came off the bench and netted a quickfire hat-trick in just 18 minutes, including a penalty after being brought down in the box.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany noted after the match, “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 challenges are going to grow and it’s going to become more difficult.”
Despite the one-sided scoreline, Auckland City showed heart, even though they were clearly outmatched. The team, whose players had to take unpaid leave from their day jobs to travel, managed to hold off Bayern briefly in the second half before Musiala took over.
Auckland’s interim coach Ivan Vicelich reflected on the experience: “This is the reality of football against one of the world’s top teams… It is a dream for players coming from an amateur level to play in this environment.”
Mueller’s second goal of the day, coming in the 89th minute, was his 250th for Bayern and capped off a dominant performance from the Bundesliga champions. It also equaled their biggest-ever Bundesliga victory margin, a 1971 11-1 win over Borussia Dortmund.
Jonathan Tah, a recent signing from Bayer Leverkusen, made his Bayern debut in central defense and had little to do on the day, given his team’s overwhelming control.
Bayern will next face Boca Juniors in Miami on Friday, while Auckland City will look to regroup as they prepare to meet Benfica the same day in Orlando.
