FC Bayern sealed their place in the round of 16 at the Club World Cup with the 2-1 victory over Boca Juniors on Friday night. With six points, 12 goals scored and one conceded after two games, the Munich men sit top of Group C. Ahead of the last group match against Benfica on Tuesday (21:00 CEST in Charlotte), fcbayern.com takes a look at the German record champions’ potential opponents in the last 16.
The situation for Bayern
Only a defeat to Benfica would knock the Bavarians off top spot. The Portuguese outfit have four points on the board in second place. While Boca Juniors (one point) still have a chance to progress, Auckland City (no points) are already out of the competition.
The potential opponents in the round of 16
If Bayern hold onto their position at the top of the table, they’ll meet the runners-up of Group D. If Vincent Kompany’s side lose to Benfica, they’ll finish second and face the winners of Group D. This is how the Group D table looks after two rounds of matches:
- CR Flamengo (6 points)
- Chelsea FC (3 points)
- Espérance Tunis (3 points)
- Los Angeles FC (0 points)
With Chelsea playing against Espérance Tunis in the final group game, LAFC cannot progress. That leaves three clubs Bayern could meet in the last 16:
CR Flamengo
Flamengo have created a stir with a dream start in the Club World Cup. Coach Filipe Luís’s men followed up the 2-0 win over Espérance Tunis with a 3-1 success against Chelsea. The Brazilian club, who made a big-name signing before the tournament with Jorginho from Arsenal FC, are already confirmed as group winners because of their head-to-head record against both Chelsea and Tunis.
Chelsea FC
Having started the competition with a comfortable 2-0 win against LAFC, the Blues suffered a setback with the 3-1 loss to Flamengo and now face a decisive match at the end of the group stage. If they lose to Espérance Tunis, the Club World Cup will be over for Enzo Maresca’s side. However, a draw would be enough to secure a place in the knockout stages for the team who finished fourth in the Premier League last season. That would set up a last-16 clash with Bayern – and the next chapter of a modern classic in European football.
Espérance Tunis
The reigning Tunisian champions kept their hopes of a ticket for the round of 16 alive thanks to the narrow 1-0 win over Los Angeles. The hero of the match was goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said, who saved a penalty deep into stoppage time to preserve the victory. A win over Chelsea would send Tunis through to the last 16 as runners-up.
All FIFA Club World Cup matches are being broadcast live and for free by streaming service DAZN, although broadcasters will differ in some countries.
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