Portugal’s Benfica secured a crucial 1-0 win over German champions Bayern Munich on Tuesday to top Group C and book their place in the last 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup.
The result marks Bayern’s first-ever loss to Benfica in any competition, as the Lisbon side delivered a disciplined performance in sweltering conditions. With the victory, Benfica move on to face the runner-up of Group D — either Chelsea or Esperance — in the next round. Bayern, who finished second, will now take on Brazil’s Flamengo.
Benfica started the game brightly and capitalised on their early momentum in the 13th minute. Norwegian winger Andreas Schjelderup latched onto a cutback from Frederik Aursnes and fired a first-time finish into the bottom corner past Manuel Neuer.
Needing at least a draw to advance and eliminate Boca Juniors, Benfica continued to manage the game well despite the intense heat in Philadelphia, which slowed the tempo and affected the overall pace of the match.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany made seven changes to his starting XI from their previous win over Boca Juniors, a decision that resulted in a sluggish first half. Only Neuer, Josip Stanisic, Raphael Guerreiro, and Serge Gnabry retained their places.
Bayern’s first real chance came before the break when Gnabry set up Leroy Sane, but the winger blazed his shot over the bar.
Kompany made three changes at halftime, introducing Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Joshua Kimmich, which immediately injected urgency into the German side’s attack. Kimmich nearly made an instant impact with a precise long ball to Sane, but the winger was denied by an alert Anatoliy Trubin in goal.
Trubin proved to be the hero for Benfica, making key saves to deny Thomas Müller and Sane, while also benefiting from a VAR intervention that ruled out a Kimmich goal due to Kane obstructing the goalkeeper’s view from an offside position.
Despite late pressure from Bayern, including a close-range header by Kane deep in stoppage time, Benfica held firm to claim all three points and send a strong message ahead of the knockout rounds.
