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Qatar hosts the FIFA Club World Cup final on Thursday, as Bayern Munich face Tigres UANL. The Mexican team have already had to come through two fixtures to reach the showpiece event, beating Korean outfit Ulsan last week and Palmeiras from Brazil over the weekend. For the Bundesliga champions it has just been one match to navigate, with Egyptian side Al Ahly being beaten 2-0.
That victory made it six wins in a row across all competitions for Hansi Flick’s team, with their last defeat being a penalty shoot-out loss in the DFB-Pokal against second-tier side Holstein Kiel. By and large, however, the Bavarian giants have been in imperious form, going 20 unbeaten between late September and early January.
Tigres beat MLS side LAFC in the CONCACAF Champions League final back in December to reach this Club World Cup, while Bayern Munich beat PSG in the UEFA version in August.
This is the delayed 2020 final of the FIFA event, meaning Liverpool remain the holders from 2019 – Bayern are hoping to make it eight wins in a row for European sides, a run which started with the Bundesliga side themselves back in 2013 when they beat Raja Casablanca of Morocco. Three players from the starting line-up that day – Manuel Neuer, David Alaba and Thomas Muller – are likely to feature here, too.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the final.
The game kicks off at 6pm GMT on Thursday, 11 February in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
The match will be shown live on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website, as well as via the BBC Red Button.
Bayern are without Jerome Boateng, who has had to fly home due to tragic personal circumstances. Leon Goretzka and Javi Martinez are both out injured, but Hansi Flick has an otherwise fit squad to choose from. His biggest call will be with which attackers play in support of Robert Lewandowski, with Leroy Sane starting to show improved form.
Veteran striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has scored all three of Tigres’ goals at the competition so far and he’ll be the main threat in the final once more. Mexican pair Diego Reyes and Carlos Salcedo both enjoyed good spells in Europe but are now the heart of the back line for Tigres in their home country.
FCB: Neuer; Pavard, Sule, Alaba, Davies; Kimmich, Roca; Coman, Muller, Gnabry; Lewandowski
TIG: Guzman; Rodriguez, Reyes, Salcedo, Duenas; Aquino, Rafael Carioca, Pizarro, Quinones; Gonzalez, Gignac
The German side to dominate, but Tigres will be a threat from set plays and on the counter if they can get Javi Aquino on the ball. Overall, though, Bayern’s greater firepower should see the trophy remain with a European team. Bayern 2-0 Tigres.
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