Benfica end Bayern hoodoo with gritty win to top Club World Cup group

In a historic night for Portuguese football, Benfica clinched a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich at the Bank of America Stadium to top Group C in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

The win marks Benfica’s first competitive triumph over the German giants, ending a 13-match winless streak against the Bundesliga champions.

A dream start for Benfica

With Bayern’s knockout spot already secured, manager Vincent Kompany made eight changes to his starting XI – and it showed.

The Portuguese side seized control early, with veteran Ángel Di María testing Manuel Neuer inside ten minutes.

The breakthrough came in the 13th minute when Andreas Schjelderup calmly slotted home from Fredrik Aursnes’ cutback, leaving Neuer stranded.

Bayern, sluggish and disjointed, failed to register a single shot on target in the first half – a rare sight for the six-time European champions.

Kompany’s changes spark life – but Trubin stands firm

Kompany turned to his big guns at half-time, introducing Harry Kane, Joshua Kimmich, and Michael Olise.

The French winger made an instant impact, winning a free-kick that saw Nicolás Otamendi booked.

Bayern’s best chance fell to Leroy Sané, brilliantly played in by Kimmich, but Anatoliy Trubin produced a stunning double save – first denying Sané, then blocking Thomas Müller’s follow-up.

Benfica’s Ukrainian goalkeeper was in inspired form, later tipping away Aleksandar Pavlović’s close-range effort before frustrating Sané again in the dying minutes.

Controversy as Bayern’s goal is ruled out

The Germans thought they had equalised when Kimmich’s low drive found the bottom corner – but the strike was disallowed after Kane was deemed to be offside and obstructing Trubin’s view.

What’s next?

Benfica’s 16-game unbeaten run sends them into the last 16, where they are likely to face Chelsea – barring a shock loss to ES Tunis on Wednesday, 25 June.

Bayern, meanwhile, will take on Flamengo after their five-match winning streak came to an abrupt halt.