Bayern Munich 1-0 Tigres UANL: Talking Points from the FIFA Club World Cup Final
Bayern Munich have got their hands on a sixth trophy in the last six months and their first Club World Cup since 2013, after a 1-0 win over Mexican side Tigres UANL on Thursday.
Tigres UANL, who were crowned champions of North & Central America in December, gave the German side a run for their money despite being the underdogs.
They matched their opponents physically and made it impossible for Bayern to sweep them away in high-tempo fashion.
Tigres UANL's 2-1 victory over Los Angeles FC ensured the Mexican side qualified for their first-ever Club World Cup competition.
After knocking out the Champions of Asia and South America in the previous rounds of the tournament, they were looking to cause a major upset by beating the Champions of Europe in the final.
Bayern Munich, who won the competition in their last appearance in 2013, knocked out African champions Al Ahly with a comfortable 2-0 victory earlier this week.
The Bavarians, however, came into the game knowing the final promised to be a harder test as the stakes were higher and their opponents were tougher.
The Mexican side put in a statement of intent with some quick play at the start of the game as they drove forward in numbers, but Bayern Munich soon took an expected foothold in the game.
The Bavarians controlled possession for large spells of the game, and their opponents were more than willing to let them have the ball as they defended their box in numbers and looked to break on the counter.
Bayern Munich seemed to have opened the scoring with a cracker from Joshua Kimmich, but it was bizarrely ruled out by the VAR after Tigres goalkeeper Guzman claimed Lewandowski was in his line of sight.
Bayern Munich kept up the pressure in the first half and Tigres matched them with their superb defending to see out the half.
The first and only goal of the game finally came through Benjamin Pavard at the hour mark. The Frenchman pounced on a loose ball in the box to fire home after a cross from Kimmich into the box.
The goal was once again reviewed by the VAR after Lewandowski looked to be in an offside position, but the goal stood and Bayern Munich were one goal to the good.
There wasn't much of a response from the North American Champions onwards, and Bayern Munich pretty much cruised through the final half-hour.
The German giants have now won all six trophies available to them in a football year and have equalled the achievement of Barcelona in 2009/10.
On that note, we look at five talking points from the game:
#1 VAR drama continues
Since introducing the Video Assistant Referee at the 2018 World Cup and its integration into world football, it has been met with both praise and criticism.
The bizarre cancelation of Joshua Kimmich's strike in the first-half is an example of why the innovation has come under so much scrutiny lately.
An absolutely faultless goal was canceled after Guzman's persistent argument that Lewandowski was in his line of sight when the shot was taken.
Bayern Munich ended up winning the game, so there will be little concern about the occurrence, but it would probably have been a different story had they lost.
#2 Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick is a serial winner
The German head coach has been at the helm for about 14 months, and he has already amassed six trophies with the Bundesliga powerhouse. He also boasts of an incredible 85% win rate with the Bavarians.
His unrelenting, high-tempo style of play was visible for all to see in their triumph over Tigres UANL and while the Mexican side did well to prevent Bayern Munich from being at their rampant best, Hansi Flick's men never really looked in danger of losing the game.
With his side on course to win a 10th straight Bundesliga title, Hansi Flick's time at Bayern Munich has been laden with silverware.