It was anything but a gentle welcome for New Zealand’s Auckland City as Bayern Munich announced their arrival at the FIFA Club World Cup in style — or rather, in ruthless fashion.
In a one-sided opening clash, the German giants humiliated the amateur outfit with a crushing 10-0 victory in Cincinnati on Sunday.
Goals Galore in Cincinnati Sunshine
From the very first whistle, Bayern made it clear they weren’t there to take it easy.
Kingsley Coman got things rolling just six minutes in, and by the 21st minute, he had already bagged his second.
Fellow Frenchmen Michael Olise and Sacha Boey added to the scoreline, turning it into a training ground exercise for Vincent Kompany’s side.
By halftime, Bayern were already up 6-0. Olise grabbed a brace and Thomas Müller chipped in too, with his trademark instinctive finish.
Olise’s second, a slick curler into the far post, stood out as the most eye-catching goal of the day.
Kane Quiet, Musiala Explodes Off the Bench
Harry Kane started the match but didn’t get his name on the scoresheet before being substituted around the hour mark.
His replacement? Jamal Musiala — and the young midfielder wasted no time lighting up the scoreboard.
Within 18 minutes, Musiala completed a clinical hat-trick, including a penalty he won himself.
Müller added the tenth and final goal in the 89th minute — his 250th for Bayern Munich — giving the German legend a fitting milestone in what will be his final Club World Cup with the team.
Kompany Preaches Humility Despite Romp
Despite the emphatic win, head coach Vincent Kompany remained grounded.
“We’ve got to stay humble,” he said. “Sure, it was a great start and we took it seriously, but the tournament is only going to get tougher from here.”
Kompany also gave new defender Jonathan Tah his first run-out since joining from Bayer Leverkusen, adding more depth to a team that already looks like favorites to lift the trophy.
Auckland City Realistic but Proud
For Auckland City, it was a harsh lesson in the realities of world football.
These are part-time players who had to take unpaid leave from their day jobs just to travel to the U.S. Yet, despite being outclassed, interim coach Ivan Vicelich couldn’t hide his pride.
“This is the kind of opportunity most of our players only dream about,” he said.
“We knew the level we were up against, and while the result hurts, we’re incredibly proud of the way our guys stepped onto that pitch.”
A Historic Win with a Familiar Ring
While Bayern have dished out some massive beatings in the past, this 10-goal margin ties their best-ever Bundesliga win — an 11-1 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund back in 1971.
It also marks an ideal start to their latest Club World Cup campaign, having previously won the tournament in 2013 and 2020.
Next up, Bayern face Argentina’s Boca Juniors in Miami this Friday.
Meanwhile, Auckland City will look to regroup before facing Portugal’s Benfica the same day in Orlando.
