🔊 Can Bayern clinch their second victory at the Club World Cup? This time, the opposition is tougher. Boca Juniors may not be in their prime, but they remain a cornerstone of Argentine football and a key source of global talent. The team is fighting for a playoff spot, finding themselves in a situation where goal difference is crucial. Bayern are clear favorites in this matchup. Nonetheless, we'll explore various scenarios to provide an insightful prediction. It's worth noting that the match will take place in Miami, at the Hard Rock Stadium.

Head-to-Head

📊 The opponents have not faced each other before.

Bayern Munich Team Overview

🔴 Bayern have reclaimed the Bundesliga title, taking a gamble by placing their trust in young coach Vincent Kompany. He rose to the challenge, with his squad establishing a 13-point lead over their nearest rivals. However, the Munich side missed out on the DFB-Pokal and made an early exit from the Champions League.

⚪️ In the opening round of the current tournament, Bayern faced Auckland. As expected, the match was one-sided, with Bayern seemingly playing at half-strength. Nonetheless, they netted 10 unanswered goals. Dayot Upamecano and Jamal Musiala returned to the pitch after injuries, with Musiala scoring a hat-trick in just 30 minutes after coming off the bench. Michael Olise contributed four assists, while Thomas Müller and Kingsley Coman each had three goal involvements.

🔝 Bayern's top scorer is Harry Kane, who has netted 26 goals in the Bundesliga, five more than his closest competitor. The Englishman entered the current tournament in excellent form, having scored in four consecutive matches, including international appearances. Surprisingly, Kane didn't contribute any goals or assists in the match against Auckland, despite playing for an hour. Perhaps he will make his mark in the upcoming game.

Boca Juniors Team Overview

🔵 Boca Juniors are not having the best season. It's enough to recall that the team failed to qualify for the Copa Libertadores. The last straw was their defeat to River Plate in the national championship. As a result, there was a change in management, with Miguel Ángel Russo taking the helm at Boca. However, the team still couldn't advance beyond the quarterfinals.

🟡 In the current tournament, the Argentine side made an impressive debut. They thrilled their fans by taking a two-goal lead against Benfica. Yet, the momentum began to shift towards their opponents. A penalty goal just before halftime broke the South Americans' spirit. Ultimately, they let the victory slip away, drawing 2-2 with their main rival for a playoff spot.

🔝 Boca's main attacking force is Miguel Merentiel. The experienced forward has tallied nine points (6 goals and 3 assists) in 18 matches in the national league this season, ranking second in this metric. He was the one who opened the scoring against Benfica. Notably, the Uruguayan tried his luck in Europe but couldn't break into Valencia's first team at that time.

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Bayern Munich

🎙 Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany shared his thoughts on the victory over Auckland: "The job is done. We played seriously and did what we needed to do. The goal difference might play a role in this group, so a ten-goal win is significant. Scoring 10 goals against a team that defends deep is no easy feat. The standout moment was Jamal Musiala's return from injury. He will be crucial for us in the remainder of the tournament."

📌 Bayern have set a Club World Cup record. Their 10-0 victory is the largest in the tournament's history.

⭐ Thomas Müller has scored 250 goals for Bayern, making him the club's third all-time top scorer. He trails only Gerd Müller (566) and Robert Lewandowski (344).

❌ Despite the returns of Upamecano and Musiala, Bayern are dealing with some squad issues. Due to injuries, Kim Min-jae, Hiroki Ito, and Alphonso Davies will not play. Eric Dier is also absent from the squad list as he is set to join Monaco soon.

Boca Juniors

🎙 Boca Juniors forward Miguel Merentiel views the draw with Benfica as a lost opportunity: “We feel like we dropped two points because the game was in our grasp. It's a disappointing result for us, but the match against Bayern will be another final. We're grateful to our fans for their support. They stand by us wherever we go. We want them to know that we'll give them everything we've got.”

📌 In the first round, the referee showed a red card to Jorge Figal, along with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He quickly realized his mistake and put the religious symbol back in his pocket.

📝 Ayrton Costa made it to the Club World Cup. U.S. authorities twice denied him a visa due to his criminal past back home. However, he was granted a 26-day permit, which means he won't play in the tournament final, although Boca Juniors aren't seen as favorites anyway.

❌ In the upcoming match, Sergio Romero and Edinson Cavani will be sidelined due to injuries. Marco Pellegrino, who joined from Milan during the summer transfer window, is also unavailable. In the first round, Ander Herrera was injured and then received a red card after being substituted, ruling him out of the next match. Jorge Figal is suspended following his late dismissal against Benfica.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The main referee for the match is Alireza Faghani from Iran. Over the past year, he has averaged three yellow cards per game. Recently, he has been officiating in Australia, overseeing the local league. His experience also includes AFC Champions League matches and international games in the same region.

This season, Boca Juniors have the edge in yellow cards (2.7 compared to 1.5). In the first round of the current tournament, they received two cautions, while Bayern picked up none. In this scenario, betting on Boca Juniors to win the yellow card count seems justified.

⚽️ Goals Prediction

After Bayern's 10-goal spree, more fireworks are expected. Boca Juniors have also been scoring freely. In such a scenario, the upcoming match promises to be high-scoring. In fact, at least three goals have been scored in 10 of Bayern's last 11 matches. Therefore, we suggest betting on over 2.5 total goals.

🚩 Corner Prediction

In the first round, Bayern allowed Auckland to take just two corners. Boca Juniors are likely to be more aggressive in attack. Notably, they have managed at least three corners in 9 of their last 10 matches. Considering they might trail at some point during the match, we recommend betting on Boca Juniors over 2.5 total corners.

Bayern are clear favorites in the upcoming clash. They have some squad absences, but not as significant as Boca Juniors'. Therefore, the Munich side are likely to win, though a rout is unlikely. A reasonable prediction for the scoreline could be a 3-1 victory.

There's no doubt Bayern will find the back of the net, but their defense has shown vulnerabilities this season, despite recent clean sheets. Even Auckland managed to launch counterattacks, although they lacked the finishing touch. Boca Juniors pose a greater threat in this regard, making both teams to score (yes) a key betting option.