MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.— Harry Kane scored twice and Bayern Munich took advantage of an explosive opening to defeat Brazil’s Flamengo 4-2 on Sunday night in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup, advancing to a highly anticipated quarterfinal showdown with Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern struck twice in the opening nine minutes and withstood sustained pressure from Flamengo before pulling away late at Hard Rock Stadium, where a pro-Flamengo crowd created a charged atmosphere throughout the match. The German champions rebounded from their only loss of the tournament — a group-stage defeat to Benfica — and reasserted their status as one of the favorites in the expanded competition.
Kane’s brace highlighted Bayern’s clinical finishing, while Manuel Neuer delivered key saves to blunt Flamengo’s comeback attempts. Bayern will face Champions League winner PSG on Saturday in Atlanta after the French club routed Inter Miami 4-0 earlier Sunday.
“It was important for us to respond after the last match,” Kane said. “We started aggressively, took our chances early and showed maturity when Flamengo put us under pressure.”
Bayern wasted little time seizing control. In the sixth minute, Flamengo midfielder Erick Pulgar inadvertently headed Joshua Kimmich’s corner kick into his own net, giving Bayern a quick lead. Three minutes later, Kane doubled the advantage when his right-footed strike from outside the box deflected past goalkeeper Agustín Rossi.
The rapid start stunned Flamengo, but the Brazilian side gradually settled into the match and began creating opportunities. Luiz Araújo nearly pulled one back in the first half with a curling left-footed shot toward the far post, only for Neuer to slide across his goal and parry the effort away in one of the match’s standout saves.
Flamengo finally broke through in the 33rd minute when Gerson unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from inside the box that beat Neuer, igniting the red-and-black-clad supporters who made up the majority of the crowd.
Any momentum was short-lived. Bayern restored its two-goal cushion in the 41st minute as Leon Goretzka was afforded ample space outside the penalty area and drilled a low shot past Rossi to make it 3-1 at halftime.
Flamengo continued to press after the break, generating chances and testing Bayern’s back line, but struggled to convert. Araújo and Pedro both had looks at goal, yet Bayern’s defense and Neuer repeatedly denied them clear finishes.
Kane put the match out of reach in the 73rd minute, scoring his second goal on a well-weighted pass from Kimmich. Kane calmly struck the ball past Rossi, underscoring Bayern’s efficiency in front of goal.
Flamengo added a late goal to narrow the margin, but never closed to within one score again. Bayern finished with fewer shots but made theirs count, capitalizing on defensive mistakes and moments of hesitation.
“We competed well and created chances, but against a team like Bayern you cannot afford mistakes,” Flamengo coach Tite said. “They punished us early, and that made the difference.”
Bayern’s victory sets up one of the marquee matchups of the tournament against PSG, while Flamengo exits after an energetic performance that ultimately fell short against Europe’s elite.
