Bayern Munich got their FIFA Club World Cup campaign off to a resounding start by hammering 10 goals without reply past a hapless Auckland City team on Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati.
Whilst the winner of the match itself may have been a foregone conclusion ahead of the kick-off, the manner in which Bayern dispatched the part-timers from New Zealand was pleasantly surprising.
From such a one-sided clash, in which even Bayern’s goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, may have fancied his chances of getting on the scoresheet, there would have been numerous fine performances from the Bundesliga Champions. Let us look at the three players who shone the brightest in the 10-0 hammering of the Oceania Champions.
Michael Olise
Michael Olise picked up from where he left off at the end of the 2024/25 domestic season. Against Auckland City, the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season was once again Bayern’s best all-around attacking player.
In just 45 minutes of action, Olise put his stamp on the game in the first half with two goals and two assists. Olise scored from both of his attempted shots. In the added time of the first half, he scored his second and Bayern’s sixth goal, after cutting in from the right, with a beautifully curled shot which conjured up memories of Arjen Robben. In total, the 23-year-old French winger created three goal-scoring opportunities. In his typically silky-smooth manner, he successfully completed five of his seven attempted dribbles. He also combined well with right-back Sacha Boey, who made some good overlapping and underlapping runs.
Off the ball, Olise did his fair share of work by completing five recoveries and winning six of nine contested ground duels. The Oceanic champions would have likely breathed a sigh of relief when he was substituted for the second half.