Bayern Munich vs Auckland City Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025 FIFA Club World Cup | Group Stage

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This is perhaps the biggest mis-match in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup as German champions Bayern Munich take on Oceania’s only representative, Auckland City.

Kick-off date/time:

How to watch on TV & online: UK – DAZN & Channel 5 / US – DAZN

Bayern Munich team news: Rest likely for Kane

After starting both England fixtures across the recent international break, it's unlikely that Harry Kane will start Bayern's first group game with Thomas Muller capable of covering in this, his final tournament as a Bayern player. Elsewhere, left-back Alphonso Davies misses out with a knee injury.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Tah, Kim, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Coman; Muller

Unavailable: Buchmann (Injured), Davies (Injured), Ito (Injured)

Questionable: 

Auckland City team news: Defence to be prioritised

It would be no surprise to see Auckland City opt for a back five with Bevan operating as the side's lone striker when taking into account how little of the ball they are expected to have across this match.

Predicted XI (5-4-1): Tracey; Boxall, Heijer, Mitchell, Bell, Lobo; Manickum, Ilich, Garriga, Yoo; Bevan

Unavailable: 

Questionable: 

Key stats

• Bayern and Auckland City have never previously met in a FIFA club competition.
• This is Bayern’s first FIFA club competition match against a team from the OFC.
• Bayern were crowned champions of Germany for a record 34th time this season, finishing 13 points ahead of last season’s winners Leverkusen. They scored an impressive tally of 99 goals in 34 matches and have now claimed the title in 12 of the last 13 seasons.
• Bayern are without doubt one of their continent’s most successful clubs having been crowned champions of Europe on six occasions, most recently in 2020. They secured their place at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ due to the club's strong performances in the UEFA Champions League over the four-year qualifying period (2021-2024), when they reached at least the quarter-final stage each season.
• The England national team’s captain and all-time top scorer, Harry Kane won the German Bundesliga top-scorer award for the second successive season with 26 goals in the 2024/25 campaign. He is the first player in Bundesliga history to score more than 25 goals in each of his first two seasons in the competition, having scored 36 in 2023/24.
• With his total of 11 goals in the UEFA Champions League this season, Harry Kane became the first English player to score more than ten goals in single campaign in the competition.
• Michael Olise marked his debut campaign in the German Bundesliga by winning the Rookie of the Season award, having finished with a league-high total of 15 assists.
• Bayern have lost only two of their last 23 matches in all competitions (W15 D6).
• Bayern have kept four clean sheets in their last five competitive matches.
• This is Auckland City’s first ever FIFA club competition match against a European team.
• Auckland City were crowned OFC Champions League winners for a record 13th time in 2025. A 2-0 win against Hekari United in the final in April 2025 made it four successive titles – and 11 of the past 13 - for the New Zealanders.
• With the OFC’s slot at the FIFA Club World Cup determined by the rankings pathway, Auckland City’s dominance of their confederation’s top club competition ensured their qualification for the inaugural edition.
• Auckland City have won their last four competitive matches, the two most recent were played just 24 hours apart. They followed up 5-2 win against West Coast Rangers in their domestic league on 30 May with a 4-0 success against Onehunga Mangere United in the Chatham Cup a day later.
• Auckland City attacker Dylan Manickum won the 2025 OFC Champions League Golden Ball award for his dazzling displays in the competition. The 32-year-old also captained New Zealand’s Futsal team in their FIFA Futsal World Cup finals debut in Uzbekistan last year.
• Auckland City’s top scorer so far in 2025 is Myer Bevan with eight goals in 15 competitive appearances. This includes a brace of goals in the 2025 OFC Champions League final against Hekari United.
• Myer Bevan and Jerson Lagos both scored for Auckland City in their 2-6 defeat against Al Ain in the African-Asian-Pacific Playoff for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024™ in September last year.
• Bayern have a combined total of 101 FIFA World Cup appearances in their playing roster. This is the most of any team at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

Bayern Munich vs Auckland City prediction

Vincent Kompany’s first season in charge of Bayern Munich saw the Bavarians reclaim the German title, displacing Bayer Leverkusen back at the top of the Bundesliga. They will be searching for a second trophy during the Kompany reign and will head to the United States as one of the pre-tournament favourites.

They begin their campaign against an Auckland City side that have qualified as the best team in the OFC Champions League. The Aucklanders have a squad made up of mainly semi-professional players but they do have a couple of standout names such as New Zealand international defender Nikko Boxall.

Much like Tahiti appearing at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, this is an interesting look at just how big the gulf is between European giants and Oceanian minnows is. A heavy Bayern win is expected.

Bayern Munich vs Auckland City tip: Bayern Munich to win -4 handicap