A place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup is up for grabs as surprise Group D winners Flamengo take on two-time champions, and unexpected Group C runners-up, Bayern Munich in an exciting last-16 match at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
Flamengo, one of Brazil’s biggest football clubs, have already made headlines in this tournament by going unbeaten in the group stage with two wins and a draw. Their 3,1 win over Chelsea was especially impressive, the first time in 25 years that a Brazilian side beat a European team by more than one goal. Despite being considered underdogs against the German giants, Flamengo are in top form, currently enjoying an 11-match unbeaten run with eight wins and three draws.
Bayern Munich, meanwhile, find themselves in this tricky fixture after a 1,0 loss to Benfica in their final group game, their first ever defeat in the Club World Cup. Manager Vincent Kompany rotated his squad for that match, ending a solid run of six wins and three draws. However, that decision could now work in Bayern’s favour, as they have fresh legs available and will be pushing to add a third Club World Cup title to their already packed trophy cabinet.
This will be the first ever meeting between Flamengo and Bayern Munich. It also marks Flamengo’s first competitive match against a German team. Bayern’s only previous encounters with Brazilian opposition came in the 1976 Intercontinental Cup, when they defeated Cruzeiro over two legs.
