Overview
Benfica just won an impressive 6-0 victory over Auckland, despite only scoring the first goal in the 8th minute of the first half's extra time. Entering the second half, the Portuguese team had a comfortable game and scored 5 more goals.
Coach Bruno Lage has made history as Benfica have never qualified for the World Club Championship. And despite having played in the Intercontinental Cup twice, they have lost both of those matches.
Benfica ended the 2024-2025 season as runners-up in the Portuguese top flight. They have achieved 80 points, equal to the achievement in the 2023-2024 season.
Benfica's form was not good before the match against Bayern Munich. The win over Auckland was their first in five games, losing one of them.
The Portuguese side have scored in their last 17 games and scored at least twice in 13 in that time period.
Meanwhile, Bayern won 2-1 against Argentina's Boca Juniors. They became the first team to beat a South American team at the FIFA Club World Cup in 10 games.
Vincent Kompany's players had 11 shots and 4 of them on target against Boca. In the Bundesliga last season, the "Gray Tigers" averaged nearly 19 shots and 7.5 shots on target per match.
Bayern only need one point to top the group, and this will ensure they only have to face the second team in Group B, D, F or H.
The Bavarian team had an incredible record against Benfica. They are unbeaten in their last 7 matches against this opponent, winning 6 times and scoring 20 goals.
Personnel situation
Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva could play alongside veteran Nicolas Otamendi in central defence.
In other positions, midfielders Orkun Kokcu and Leandro Barreiro are candidates for the central midfield position after a strong performance against Auckland City.
Striker Angel Di Maria has scored twice against Auckland and could play in attack alongside Vangelis Pavlidis, Kerem Akturkoglu and Gianluca Prestianni.
On the other side of the front line, Kompany still wants to top the group and will therefore field the strongest squad. Players like Josip Stanisic and Jonathan Tah could feature in defence.
Joshua Kimmich paired Leon Goretzka against Boca, and the pair could continue to play in midfield. Thomas Muller is injured, so Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala and Kingsley Coman could be chosen to play behind striker Harry Kane.
Expected lineup:
Benfica: Trubin, Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras, Barreiro, Kokcu, Di Maria, Prestianni, Akturkoglu, Pavlidis.
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Laimer, Tah, Stanisic, Guerreiro, Kimmich, Goretzka, Olise, Musiala, Coman, Kane.
The match between Benfica and Bayern Munich takes place at 2:00 am on June 25 (Vietnam time).
