Thanks to two victories in the first two matchdays, Bayern Munich became the first team to qualify for the knockout stage of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. It’s still to be decided whether they will finish first or second in Group C: the decisive clash will be against Benfica, currently second with four points. Completing the group are Boca Juniors, stuck at one point, and New Zealand’s Auckland City, bottom of the table with zero points. For Bayern, already mathematically qualified thanks to wins against Auckland City (10-0) and Boca Juniors (2-1), avoiding defeat will be enough to secure first place and thus an easier round of 16 draw. A loss, instead, would mean finishing second. Vincent Kompany’s team, fresh winners of the last Bundesliga, is confirming itself as one of the tournament’s main protagonists and favorites for the final victory. Despite an intense season that saw them compete until the Champions League quarter-finals, the Bavarians are showing excellent physical and athletic form, a key factor to go far in the competition. Benfica started the Club World Cup with a 2-2 comeback draw against Boca Juniors, followed by a clear 6-0 win over Auckland City. The Portuguese side would also secure second place with a draw against Bayern, while a victory would put them top of the group. In case of defeat, however, Benfica will have to hope Boca Juniors don’t take three points in their last match against Auckland City. Otherwise, qualification will be decided by goal difference, which could add extra pressure on the Portuguese. To avoid their fate being decided by numbers, Benfica will have to play with maximum determination to avoid their first loss in this FIFA Club World Cup.

Benfica’s Recent Form and Key Statistics

On matchday two of the Club World Cup, Benfica comfortably crushed Auckland City 6-0. After a locked first half, the Portuguese opened scoring in injury time with a penalty converted by Ángel Di María. In the second half, the Portuguese side ran away with the game thanks to Barreiro’s brace, goals from Pavlidis and Sanches, and Fideo’s second personal goal.

For Roger Schmidt’s team, this is the 18th consecutive unbeaten result across all competitions, with 13 wins and 5 draws. A positive sign also comes from the defensive phase: Benfica kept a clean sheet for the first time in six matches after conceding in five consecutive games, albeit against a lower-ranked opponent. Offensively, the Eagles hadn’t scored six goals in a single match since their 6-0 win over AFS on April 27.

Bayern Munich’s Recent Form and Key Statistics

Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich arrive at the final group stage matchday of the Club World Cup with four consecutive wins across all competitions. The most recent was a 2-1 victory against Boca Juniors in the tournament’s second matchday. The Bavarians started strong, opening the scoring at the 18th minute with Harry Kane’s first goal in a Club World Cup.

After conceding, Boca Juniors increased the tempo and equalized at 66’ through Miguel Merentiel. But just under five minutes from full time, Michael Olise, scoring his third goal in two matches, gave Bayern the win.

The goal conceded against the Xeneizes ended Manuel Neuer’s streak of three clean sheets, a slight warning ahead of the Benfica clash. In attack, however, the numbers remain staggering: since the 0-0 draw against Bayer Leverkusen last February 15, Bayern have scored in every game, with an impressive average of 4.2 goals per match over the last five outings.

Benfica vs Bayern Munich Prediction and Tactical Overview

Benfica and Bayern Munich face each other again after several European cup clashes, the most recent being last November in the single-group phase of the 2024/25 Champions League. On that occasion, the Bavarians prevailed 1-0 thanks to a Musiala goal.

The overall record clearly favors the Germans: Bayern have never lost against Benfica and have won all of their last five direct confrontations. In these matches, Bayern have averaged 3.4 goals per game, compared to just 0.6 for the Portuguese.

Although already qualified, Vincent Kompany’s Bayern will want to finish the group stage top and with a perfect record. The attacking form suggests Harry Kane and company are ready to update their stats further. They may be helped by a Portuguese defense that looked quite fragile, especially in the opening game against Boca Juniors.

Benfica, on the other hand, must get a result to avoid early tournament exit. Roger Schmidt will rely on Di Maria’s quality and Pavlidis’ composure in front of goal to try for an upset. If they fall behind, the Eagles will have to push higher up the pitch, risking conceding several goals.

The feeling, therefore, is that we can expect a game full of goals and excitement. For this reason, the prediction Benfica vs Bayern Munich suggests a match with at least three goals in total, very likely with both teams scoring.

• Benfica vs Bayern Munich prediction from the BetMines algorithm predicts a match with Over 2.5 goals at 68%.
  
  
• Benfica vs Bayern Munich prediction from the BetMines Algorithm predicts a match with Under 2.5 goals at 32%.

Probable Lineups Benfica vs Bayern Munich

BENFICA (4-2-3-1): Trubin; Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Barreiro, Kokcu; Di Maria, Prestianni, Akturkoglu; Pavlidis. Coach: Roger Schmidt

BAYERN MUNICH (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Tah, Stanisic, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Coman; Kane. Coach: Vincent Kompany