World Cup Campaign Kicks Off with Munich Demolishing Auckland City
On Sunday, the World Cup Campaign began for teams all around the world. Bayern Munich began their Club World Cup campaign emphatically with a ruthless 10-0 demolition of Auckland City on Sunday, as Jamal Musiala marked his return from injury with a brilliant second-half hat-trick in a commanding team display. Kingsley Coman opened the scoring in the sixth minute, heading home at the far post after a Joshua Kimmich corner. The Bundesliga champions then took full control with a three-goal burst in as many minutes, as Sacha Boey smashed in a low shot from a Coman pass in the 18th minute for his first goal for Bayern, Michael Olise added a third with a simple tap-in moment later and Coman netted his second in the 21st minute. Thomas Mueller then made it 5-0 just before the break, volleying in from close range after an Olise assist, and the French winger grabbed his second with a superb curling effort from outside the box.
With a dominant lead at halftime, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany made several changes, including handing a senior debut to 17-year-old Lennart Karl. "I wanted to give Karl his opportunity, he showed lots of quality, it was great for him and great for Bayern," Kompany told reporters. "We have a strong basis from last season, and we can still allow young players to succeed. He may play an important role in the next rounds." Substitute Musiala curled a trademark finish into the far corner in the 67th minute, before calmly converting a penalty he earned six minutes later and pouncing on a defensive blunder to score his third in the 84th.
Mueller also completed his double by sealing the rout in the 89th minute, as Bayern recorded the biggest win in the history of men's Club World Cups. Despite the heavy defeat, Auckland coach Ivan Vicelich, who noted before the match that several of his players had to take time off from their day jobs, said he was proud of his team's effort. "To be proud of the players is what we're after. It's a dream coming from an amateur level to play in this environment," he said. "You can't hide on the field. I'm proud, a lot of players put in a good amount and worked hard." The 13-time OFC Champions League winners, Auckland, will face Benfica on Friday, while Bayern meet Argentine giants Boca Juniors on the same day in Group C action.
