Bayern Munich: Key takeaways from 2-1 victory against Boca Juniors

Bayern Munich withstand a physical barrage from Boca Juniors to eke out a 2-1 victory and qualify for the knock-out round of the Club World Cup
Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala in action against Boca Juniors.
Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala in action against Boca Juniors. | Jam Media/GettyImages
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Poor refereeing fortunately wasn’t disastrous

Whilst poor finishing could have cost Bayern the victory, poor refereeing could have left Bayern short of healthy bodies moving forward in the tournament.

In Boca’s first game of the tournament, they lived up to the reputation of being a side that pushes the envelope in terms of physical play and aggression and were punished with two red cards.

Against Bayern, they were more cunning and less audacious with some unnecessary physical play. However, the referee clearly allowed too much of it without the necessary yellow cards in some instances.

On numerous occasions throughout the game, various Bayern players were tackled or shoved after passing the ball without any intervention from the referee. Considering that the referee chalked off what appeared to be a legitimate Michael Olise goal directly from a corner in as early as the 8th minute, after VAR intervention, the level of officiating in the match declined afterwards in favor of the South American team. In hindsight, Jamal Musiala should have been spared the hostility.