Auckland City vs Boca Juniors

To maintain any chance of advancing in the Club World Cup, Boca Juniors face a critical match against the already-eliminated Auckland City in Nashville on Tuesday, needing a substantial victory to stay alive.

With Bayern Munich securing their spot in Group C and Benfica holding a three-point lead in second, Boca Juniors require a significant goal-difference boost to reach the round of 16.

Despite a commendable effort so far, Boca’s 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich in Miami severely dented their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage. Miguel Merentiel equalized after Harry Kane’s opener at Hard Rock Stadium, but a late Bayern goal snapped a nine-game unbeaten streak for South American teams in this year’s tournament, leaving Boca in third place.

Having previously let a two-goal lead slip against Benfica, Miguel Angel Russo’s squad has only one point. A win is essential on the final matchday of Group C, but even that may not suffice. Benfica only needs a draw against Bayern to advance, and Boca would need a commanding win in Nashville to overcome a seven-goal deficit in goal difference.

Under different circumstances, this gap might seem impossible to close, but Auckland City, their next opponents, have conceded an average of eight goals per game in the tournament.

If points and goal difference end up level, the Fair Play criteria could determine the second-place finisher, but Boca’s focus will be on securing a high-scoring victory. This game marks the third clash between South American and Oceanian teams in the Club World Cup, with Auckland City hoping to at least score their first goal of the tournament.

The New Zealand side, previously defeated 2-0 by San Lorenzo in 2014, now face a Boca Juniors team determined to rack up goals, potentially leading to another tough outing for Auckland’s supporters.

Since arriving in the U.S. this summer, Auckland City have conceded twice as many goals as their touches in the opposition’s penalty area, letting in 16 goals so far. After a crushing double-digit loss to Bayern Munich and a 6-0 defeat to Benfica following a weather delay in Orlando, Ivan Vicelich’s squad has now lost nine consecutive matches at FIFA’s premier club competition, despite their dominance in Oceania with 13 OFC Champions League titles in under two decades.

Outmatched in Group C, Auckland City will likely focus on minimizing the damage in Tuesday’s encounter.