Harry Kane continued his remarkable goalscoring form for Bayern Munich, finding the net 38 times in 46 appearances during the 24/25 season. This follows his sensational debut campaign in Germany, where he racked up 44 goals in just 45 games. The England captain has proven himself as one of Europe's most reliable strikers, and he'll be eager to open his Club World Cup account against Auckland City.  

With Bayern Munich expected to dominate possession and create numerous chances against their New Zealand opponents, Kane will likely have several opportunities to add to his season tally. His intelligent movement and clinical finishing make him the most probable goalscorer in this mismatch. While the odds reflect his strong likelihood of scoring, his consistency in these situations makes him a solid selection.  

Given the gulf in class between the sides, Kane may not need to play the full 90 minutes to make his mark on the game. However, even in a potentially shortened appearance, the striker's predatory instincts and Bayern's creative firepower suggest he'll find at least one clear chance to score. Backing Kane to continue his scoring form in this tournament opener looks a prudent choice.

Dayot Upamecano has been part of a Bayern Munich defence that has faced scrutiny this season, particularly for its susceptibility against top quality opposition, as seen in their Champions League performances. While Auckland City are unlikely to spend much time in Bayern's half, let alone their penalty area, any attacking opportunities they do create will likely come from direct play. This could lead to Upamecano being tested in physical duels when Auckland do break forward.  

The French defender committed an average of 1.02 fouls per 90 minutes during the 24/25 Bundesliga campaign, showing he can sometimes be drawn into challenges when put under pressure. Against a side like Auckland, who will rely on quick transitions and long balls, Upamecano may find himself in situations where he needs to intervene decisively. His physical attributes should give him the upper hand, but his occasional lapses in concentration could present Auckland with rare chances.  

While Bayern are expected to control possession for large periods, Upamecano's role in dealing with counter attacks could prove crucial in keeping a clean sheet. His ability to win aerial duels and recover possession quickly will be key, particularly if Auckland attempt to exploit any defensive uncertainty. Even in a game where Bayern dominate, Upamecano's performance at the back could determine how comfortable their victory ultimately is.

Bayern Munich are widely expected to triumph in their first Club World Cup clash against Auckland City, who secured their place in the competition with their win in the OFC Champions League. There is a massive gulf in class between these sides, which should see Auckland catch the eye of the referee on a few occasions.

Auckland are basically a semi-professional side with the majority of their players having secondary jobs away from football. They should struggle against the speed and quality of Bayern Munich, particularly in the latter stages of the game. The referee for this game is Issa Sy, who has previously officiated at the African Cup of Nations, averaging 3.20 cards per game across his five appointments in the competition.

You would expect the majority of the defensive work to be undertaken by Auckland here as the heavy underdogs. Bayern should be able to draw plenty of fouls from their opponents in their opening game of the Club World Cu,p which should see at least two cautions for Auckland in what is set to be a short tournament for the side from New Zealand.

Kimmich’s ability to create chances for his teammates in the final third remains an underrated facet of his game. Only Harry Kane (8) and Michael Olise (15) registered more assists for Bayern during the 24/25 Bundesliga campaign than Kimmich (6).

His underlying numbers further back this up with the 30 year old creating 83 chances across his 33 appearances in the Bundesliga during the 24/25 season (2.62 per 90). This resulted in Kimmich ending the campaign with an xA of 10.5 which suggests that his assist tally could have been quite a bit higher if his teammates had been more clinical in front of goal.

Kimmich is likely to get quite a lot of space here to try and pick out his teammates and also occasionally takes charge of set piece situations for Bayern Munich which can offer a direct avenue for Kimmich to register an assist in the opening game of the Club World Cup.

Gerard Garriga will have an almost impossible task in the middle of the park for Auckland City. The 32 year old has been with Auckland since 2022 and has become an integral part of the squad in that time. He is likely to struggle to contain the midfield of Bayern Munich with his age also proving a factor which could result in mistimed challenges.

Garriga will be grateful that Jamal Musiala isn’t quite fit enough to feature for Bayern Munich here as he would have caused the midfielder all sorts of problems but he’ll still be faced up by Leon Goretzka (0.75 fouls per 90), Joshua Kimmich (0.85 fouls won per 90) and Thomas Muller (0.89 fouls won per 90).

Bayern will dominate the ball in their opening game of the Club World Cup which should see Auckland have to engage in most of the running and defensive workload which increases the chances of Garriga being shown a caution here. He may also have to manage Michael Olise who occasionally plays just behind the striker for Bayern Munich - Olise averaged 2.49 fouls won per 90 across his 34 appearances during the 24/25 Bundesliga season.

The challenge for Auckland here will be avoiding an ugly scoreline to try and keep some confidence for the remaining games in the group against Boca Juniors and Benfica. However, it’s likely that Bayern will punish the gap in quality that exists between these sides with goals rarely proving an issue for Vincent Kompany’s side with the talent they boast in forward areas.

Across their final five Bundesliga matches, Bayern Munich scored 4+ goals twice, which is a record that shows how free scoring they can be. They scored 3+ goals in four of the five matches which is a record that will make worrying reading for Auckland. Bayern scored 99 goals across their 34 matches during the 24/25 Bundesliga season (2.91 per game).