A place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) is on the line when shock Group D winners Flamengo take on two-time winners, and surprise Group C runners-up, Bayern Munich, in an intriguing last-16 clash at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium Sunday.
Brazilian giants Flamengo have made a serious statement already at this CWC, sailing through the group stage unbeaten with two wins and a draw while claiming the notable scalp of Chelsea, winning 3-1.
That was the first time a Brazilian side had beaten European opposition by 2+ goals in 25 years, so while they’re understandably underdogs here, they simply can’t be written off, as an impressive 11-match unbeaten streak perfectly demonstrates (eight wins, three draws).
Bayern Munich landed themselves in this tricky tie thanks to suffering their first-ever CWC defeat on matchday three of the group stage, as they went down 1-0 to Benfica. Manager Vincent Kompany shuffled his pack for that encounter, so while his side suffered their first defeat since early April, the Belgian boss should at least have fresh legs to call upon as he looks to add a third CWC to the club’s bursting trophy cabinet.
This will be the first-ever meeting between these two sides.
This game serves as Flamengo’s first competitive meeting with German opposition. Bayern’s only two prior head to head encounter against Brazilian sides came back in the 1976 Intercontinental Cup, when they saw off Cruzeiro over two legs.
