Bayern Munich – Boca Juniors: A Victory by Inches Despite the Territorial Control (2-1)
Bayern Munich were in the driving seat throughout the match as they dominated possession control. Nevertheless, Boca Juniors defended astutely and let very few chances slip. A closely fought tie came down to the wire with Michael Olise delivering the winner in the final minutes.
Tactical analysis and match report by Fahd Ahmed.
We decided to make this article free to read. If you want to support our work, consider taking a subscription.
The first week of the Club World Cup met expectations with a few surprise draws. However, that was set to change in the second week with some major upsets. Reigning Copa Libertadores champions, Botafogo, delivered a shock 1-0 victory against current UEFA Champions League and treble-winning Paris Saint-Germain. Less than a day later, Flamengo convincingly beat Chelsea with a commanding 3-1 scoreline. With precedent already set that South American teams are well capable of beating the heavy-hitting European sides, Boca Juniors would have had more belief ahead of their tie against Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
The Bavarians had a rosy start to their Club World Cup journey as they faced Auckland City in the opening match. A 10-0 thrashing highlighted the oceanic gap between the quality of the two teams. However, their next fixture was going to be far from straightforward as they faced one of the most iconic and historically rich clubs in the world.
Vincent Kompany made three alterations to the side that he fielded against Auckland – with a change in three different departments. At right-back, Konrad Laimer was preferred instead of Sacha Boey. More physicality was added in midfield as Aleksandar Pavlović was benched for Leon Goretzka. Lastly, Thomas Müller, who is set to depart the club after the tournament, was replaced by Serge Gnabry.
Boca, on the other hand, had a dramatic and high-octane draw against Benfica. Both teams scored two, and the frantic tie became a heated contest with the referee showing two red cards in the match. Miguel Angel Russo’s only two changes were forced, as the suspended Nicolás Figal and Ander Herrera sat out for Tomás Belmonte and Lautaro Di Lollo. The rest of the team remained intact, as Russo would have wanted to maintain their momentum after a hard-fought draw.
Boca started the match positively, as they did not drop into a deep defensive block from the outset. Although they were passive and defended zonally when the opposition was in front of them, Boca stationed their compact mid-block whilst being aggressive when Bayern tried any central passes or moved the ball to the flanks. However, they were unable to establish settled possession phases due to the Bavarians’ off-ball intensity.
Dominating possession through an intense counter-press and man-oriented pressing system
Early in the game, there were a few situations where Boca had possession in the middle and attacking thirds. However, Bayern’s insistence on either pressing man-for-man from the get-go or transitioning their zonal 4-4-2 defensive block into a man-oriented press made it difficult for Boca to have comfortable possession phases. Therefore, the team in yellow mostly played vertically whenever they had the ball, as they did not have time to organize themselves within their 4-2-4 shape and play it slowly through the lines. Nevertheless, the game plan from Russo had the clear intention of attacking directly.
Another reason for Bayern’s possession dominance was their effective counter-press.
As they initially kept the fullbacks narrow and holding minimum width, they had the right structure to press immediately and win the ball back. Even if there were possession losses when trying to play through the lines, since the Bayern players were in close proximity to each other, they were able to force turnovers.
Unlocking the defense through wide rotations
As Bundesliga fans would particularly be aware, Kompany relies on his fullbacks to combine with the wingers. Their counter-movements provide dynamism in the final third, and there is often good chemistry between the fullbacks and the wingers.
On the right flank, the Olise-Laimer combination proved to be the main source of trouble. The pair consistently engaged in overlapping and underlapping runs to drag markers and create space for the other – either to deliver a pass into the box or a long shot. What is impressive and commendable is that the players are willing to make that sacrifice for each other. Some may assume it to be a given, but there are so many teams where the forwards do not provide enough supporting runs. At Bayern, though, that is not the case.
We see that leading to the goal in the 18th minute, where Olise is positioned in the half-space whilst Laimer is on the right wing. Knowing that Olise will try to attack the space between the center-back and the left-back, Lautaro Blanco cannot pressure Laimer instantly. He has to wait.
That second where he hesitates allows Laimer time to take a touch and orient himself before delivering a cross into the penalty box. Although Kingsley Coman does not get first contact, the ball falls kindly to Harry Kane, who scores his first goal of the tournament.
18th minute: Olise’s supporting run provided Laimer with the space to play a cross into the penalty area. Although it was targeted toward Coman, Kane anticipated the loose ball and capitalized.
Bayern’s supporting runs constantly caused problems. As the first half wore on, Boca had to step out more often to force turnovers and generate more counterattacking opportunities. They were willing to do this from the start of the match regardless, but their defensive line height seemed to increase.
When their defensive line stepped up, Bayern would try to find long diagonal passes that would shift the Boca defensive block. When they did so, Bayern’s forwards and fullbacks would be relentless off the ball.
Olise was especially more threatening than the rest due to the multifaceted skill sets he has. There are a range of ways he can break down a team. Against Auckland City, Olise recorded an assist for Müller after cutting in from the right flank and also scored a goal after chopping onto his favored foot as well. Furthermore, Olise can find penetrative ground passes into the box from this zone – like he did for Gnabry against Boca in the 20th minute, who powered a cross-cum-shot across the face of goal, which was almost nudged in by Coman.
Boca’s bravery on the ball
One of the biggest positives of the Club World Cup has been that it has given South American football a global platform and audience. Although there were very few opportunities for Boca on the ball, they showcased their courage and skill to break Bayern’s man-oriented press, pin them back, and be a threat through crosses.
Arguably Boca’s best possession sequence of the first half started from a goal kick in the 32nd minute. They moved the ball to the left-back after Bayern pressed them high. With Olise closing down, Blanco did not have any straightforward passing options. So, he dribbled past the Frenchman and now the field opened up. Through clever third-man combinations, Boca were able to progress to the final third whilst shifting the ball from one side to the next.
Although Bayern were generally effective at preventing such sequences from materializing, it was great to watch Boca try to stamp their influence on the game with the ball.
32nd minute: Boca play through the Bayern press by winning the one-versus-one situation, utilizing third-man combinations, and diagonal passes.
Missed chances, Merentiel’s magical solo effort, and Olise’s dagger
Despite Boca’s commendable efforts, Bayern were the better side in the first half and in the early period of the second. They were able to translate their possession dominance into dangerous chances in the final third. There were a couple of valuable chances as well where Bayern could have extended their lead by another goal.
Boca, on the other hand, tried to hurt Bayern on the counter and in the rare moments that they had possession in the opposition half. Their bravery on the ball led to a few crosses into the box that would have made Kompany a little nervous.
Eventually, Boca’s defensive patience paid off as a ridiculous solo dribble by Miguel Merentiel ended with a goal. Words or still images cannot do justice to describe that effort by the Uruguayan striker. It must be watched on video.
The Merentiel GOLAZO from ALL ANGLES!
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 21, 2025
Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 - July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #BAYBOC pic.twitter.com/RI52nCMFHY
Boca had their tails up after the goal. They piled on the pressure in the minutes following the equalizer and threatened to take the lead. Soon enough, though, Bayern controlled possession again whilst the team from Argentina retreated to defend the score.
It must be said that they impressively defended the remaining minutes. Boca barely conceded any chances and kept the opposition at bay despite Bayern’s relentless attempts to crack the defensive block. It really went down to the wire, but their hopes were quashed with a goal by Olise after a messy bit of play. Kompany’s team had a slice of luck here, but the anticipation from Kane to collect the loose ball, then lay it off for Olise, and the composed finish was still down to the individual quality from Bayern’s forwards.
Takeaways
Bayern did well to see out the rest of the match as they prevented the opposition from having any shots on target. The Bavarians deserved to walk away with all three points, but Boca’s performance made it a competitive tie where the win had to be hard-earned.
That victory seals qualification to the knockout rounds for Kompany, but he would still want the team to top the group with a final group stage match pending against Benfica. Boca’s chances are mathematically still possible but very unlikely. Not only would Benfica have to lose to the Bundesliga champions, but Boca would have to close the goal difference gap – currently separated by seven – to earn qualification. Chances are slim, but with how unpredictable football is, there will always be optimism.
Use the arrows to scroll through all available match plots. Click to enlarge.
Check the match plots page for plots of other matches.
Comments