📢 Which team will come out on top in the Club World Cup Round of 16? The playoffs promise a high-stakes clash as a European powerhouse faces off against a South American giant in a direct duel for a spot in the next round. Brazilian side Flamengo have hit their stride, confidently topping their group, even surpassing Chelsea. Meanwhile, German giants Bayern Munich surprisingly finished second after losing to Benfica in the final match (0-1), but they're certainly not ready to end their trophy pursuit just yet. The match is set to take place in the USA at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and it promises to deliver thrilling football for the fans. 

Head-to-Head

📊 In the upcoming match, the teams will face each other for the first time in history.

Flamengo Team Overview

⚫ Flamengo arrived at the FIFA Club World Cup in excellent form. The team had been unbeaten domestically, heading into the break as leaders of the Brazilian league standings, showcasing a mature and confident style of play. This momentum seemed to give the club an extra boost — during the group stage of the Club World Cup, the Brazilians were formidable, collecting 7 points and advancing to the playoffs as group leaders. Notably, their group included Chelsea, whom Flamengo defeated 3-1. They could have finished the group stage with a perfect record, but unexpectedly drew 1-1 with Los Angeles in the final match. Perhaps their mindset wasn't as sharp, given that the match was inconsequential with their top spot in the group already secured.

Bayern Munich Team Overview

🔴 Bayern found themselves in a relatively straightforward group, facing Auckland City, Boca Juniors, and Benfica. It seemed like the Munich side would comfortably win all three matches and secure the top spot. And it started off that way: in their opening match, the German club delivered a thrashing to the New Zealanders with a 10-0 victory. However, things didn't remain smooth sailing. The clash with the Argentinians proved tough (2-1), with victory only snatched in the 84th minute thanks to a goal from Michael Olise. In the third match, they unexpectedly suffered a defeat to Benfica (0-1). As a result, they finished second in the group. Perhaps this was part of the plan: had Bayern topped the group, they would have faced Chelsea in the round of 16 instead of Flamengo. We'll see how justified this "strategy" turns out to be.

Latest news

Flamengo

📣 Head coach Filipe Luis reflected on the group stage of the Club World Cup following the 1-1 draw with Los Angeles: "We had an excellent group stage. We secured our spot in the playoffs early, which allowed us to rest players with yellow cards and give playing time to those who hadn't been on the field yet. The team maintained a good tempo, created chances, and we had every opportunity to win—it's just that the ball wouldn't go in. Nonetheless, we're very pleased: no one got injured, and overall, the group stage was fantastic. Now, our focus is solely on Bayern."

🚫 The only player whose participation is in doubt is midfielder Nicolas De La Cruz. He missed all three group stage matches due to a knee dislocation.

Bayern Munich

📣 Head coach Vincent Kompany reflected on his team's defeat to Benfica in the final group stage match of the Club World Cup and shared his expectations for the upcoming round of 16 clash with Flamengo: "I think we played very poorly in the first half. The condition of the pitch and the heat were concerning; I realized we wouldn't be able to show our usual game. That's football. If you don't capitalize on your chances, you pay the price. The match against Flamengo will be tough, but we know we can create plenty of opportunities."

🚫 Bayern began the tournament with a less than optimal lineup. From the outset, the coaching staff couldn't rely on two key defenders—Alphonso Davies and Min-jae Kim—who are sidelined due to injuries. In their last group stage match against Benfica, the injury woes only worsened: Sacha Boey, another defender, picked up an injury. He was forced to leave the field midway through the second half, and his participation in the upcoming game is now highly doubtful.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

⚽️ Goal Prediction

The upcoming match promises to be a high-scoring affair. Both teams play attacking football and consistently create dangerous opportunities in the opposition's half. Bayern have been consistently finding the back of the net, scoring in 19 of their last 20 matches. Flamengo are also in good attacking form, having scored in 13 of their last 14 encounters. Given this offensive productivity from both sides, betting on both teams to score (yes) seems like a logical choice.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Both teams exhibit aggressive attacking play, which is reflected in their corner statistics. In this Club World Cup, Bayern have consistently delivered at least 6 corners in each match, even earning 10 corners against Auckland City. Flamengo are not far behind, with 8 corners against Chelsea and 6 in the game against Los Angeles. Considering the overall attacking mindset and high intensity on the flanks, we are betting on total corners over 9.5.