CWC: Bavarians fall short against Benfica but avoid Chelsea in Round of 16

Benfica beat Bayern 1-0 and progressed, but the Lisbon crew won't be as satisfied as the Bavarians, given that they'll probably face Chelsea in the Round of 16, while the Germans will lock horns with Flamengo.

Still, the Portuguese side needed a win to secure the advancement from the group stage and took that task seriously, netting the early winner already in the 13th minute over Andreas Schjelderup. Vincent Kompany's team was way better, especially after the break when the Belgian subbed in his superstars Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Joshua Kimmich, but one disallowed goal was everything they managed to do. Benfica's keeper, Anatoliy Trubin, put in a heroic performance and stopped them.

On the other hand, the clash between Boca Juniors and Auckland City - whose outcome isn't important thanks to Benfica's win - was interrupted due to bad weather in the second half, and the result was 1-1 at that point.

Ahead of the final matchday in Group C at the FIFA Club World Cup, the situation was clear: Benfica needed a win over Bayern to reach the Round of 16, while the Bavarians were safe. On the other hand, Boca Juniors were eagerly waiting for the Portuguese side's failure to snatch a ticket for the last 16.

However, things didn't start well for the Argentinians, as Benfica used their first chance in the game and broke the deadlock in the 13th minute over Andreas Schjelderup, who exploited a poor reaction from Bayern's defensive line, following Angel Di Maria's solo effort and Fredrik Aursnes' cross.

Vincent Kompany's crew had a possession advantage but failed to create even a half-chance before the break, as none of their four attempts went on target.

In the meantime, Boca were 1-0 up against Auckland City at the break thanks to Nathan Garrow's own goal, but at that point, the South American team was far from progressing to the Round of 16.

The Belgian tactician realized it's time to act, subbing in Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Joshua Kimmich at the break, and the Munich side instantly started playing much better. Six minutes into the second half, Leroy Sane wasted a one-on-one chance. Thomas Muller's weak attempt followed, but Anatoliy Trubin's net remained intact.

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Minutes later, the Eagles could have doubled their lead, but the sub Kerem Akturkoglu failed to outsmart Manuel Neuer from a promising position. Still, that was only an exception, as Bayern were in control. In the 61st minute, the Bavarians levelled over Kimmich, but the goal was disallowed for Kane's offside, as the Englishman hindered Benfica's keeper.

A quarter of an hour before the end, Aleksandar Pavlovic tested Trubin from close range, but the Ukrainian custodian passed the test superbly. At the same time, Auckland had surprisingly levelled against Boca thanks to the defender Christian Gray, scoring their maiden goal of the tournament, before the game was interrupted because of bad weather.

In the 86th minute, Sane once again failed to outsmart the rivals' goalie, while Trubin proved he is Man of the Match material. Still, even the defeat wasn't so bad for the Bavarians, as they'll avoid Chelsea in the Round of 16 and face Flamengo. On the other hand, Benfica's victory paired them up with the Blues in the "replay" of the 2013 UEFA Europa League final.

FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025

Matchday 3

Monday

Atletico Madrid - Botafogo 1-0 (0-0)

/Griezmann 87/

Seattle - PSG 0-2 (0-1)

/Kvaratskhelia 35, Hakimi 66/

Tuesday

Inter Miami - Palmeiras 2-2 (1-0)

/Allende 16, Suarez 65 - Paulinho 80, Mauricio 87/

Porto - Al Ahly Cairo 4-4 (1-2)

/Mora 23, Gomes 50, Aghehowa 53, Pepe 89 - Abou Ali 15, 45+2 pen, 51, Romdhane 64/

Auckland - Boca Juniors 1-1 INTERRUPTED

Benfica - Bayern 1-0 (1-0)

/Schejlderup 13/

Wednesday

04:00: (12.0) Esperance (5.40) Chelsea (1.28)

04:00: (4.90) Los Angeles (3.60) Flamengo (1.75)

22:00: (1.22) Dortmund (6.50) Ulsan (12.0)

22:00: (4.10) Mamelodi (3.50) Fluminense (1.90)

Thursday

04:00: (1.90) Inter Milan (3.45) River Plate (3.80)

04:00: (5.30) Urawa RD (3.60) Monterrey (1.70)

22:00: (4.40) Juventus (3.50) Man.City (1.85)

22:00: (2.55) Wydad Casablanca (3.35) Al Ain (2.75)

Friday

04:00: (1.48) Al Hilal (4.40) Pachuca (6.75)

04:00: (9.00) Salzburg (5.90) Real Madrid (1.30)

***odds are subject to change***