Benfica defeats Auckland City in Club World Cup game, securing their initial triumph in the tournament.
Benfica crushed Auckland City 6-0 in their Club World Cup match on Friday, leaping to the top of Group C in style.
Bruno Lage made some changes to the starting lineup after a draw with Boca Juniors, hoping to secure the win. And boy, did they deliver!
The first half ended with a 1-0 lead in favor of Benfica, thanks to a penalty converted by Angel Di María. The storm in Florida during the break didn't dampen their spirits, as they came out firing in the second half.
Vangelis Pavlidis doubled the lead at 53 minutes, Orkun Kökcü creating the opportunity. Renato Sanches, fresh off the bench, scored the third goal with a long-range effort that took a deflection off Matthew Ellis.
Leandro Barreiro scored twice in quick succession, making it 5-0. Tiago Gouveia provided the assist for the fourth, and Pavlidis set up Barreiro for the fifth.
The scoring didn't stop there - Di María completed his hat-trick with a penalty in the 90+8th minute, sealing the 6-0 victory for Benfica.
This win catapults Benfica to the top of Group C, which also includes Bayern Munich and Pachuca. Auckland City, who have yet to taste victory, sit at the bottom.
With a strong start to the tournament, Benfica looks poised for success in the Club World Cup 2025, positioning themselves as one of the top contenders in the group stage[1][2].
Bruno Lage implemented tactical adjustments, aiming to capitalize on their previous draw against Boca Juniors in the Club World Cup. In a thrilling football match against Auckland City, Benfica solidified their dominance, securing a 6-0 victory with goals from Angel Di Maria, Vangelis Pavlidis, Renato Sanches, Leandro Barreiro (twice), and a remarkable long-range strike from Orkun Kökcü.
