Benfica vs Auckland City

Benfica, after securing a draw in their Club World Cup opener, are determined to claim all three points when they face Group C underdogs Auckland City in Orlando on Friday.

The Portuguese powerhouse managed to salvage a point against Boca Juniors in their first match, while Auckland City, the New Zealand side, endured a historic thrashing and appeared outclassed.

Trailing by two goals at halftime in their Club World Cup debut, Benfica staged a spirited comeback, largely thanks to two seasoned Argentinian players. Against Boca Juniors, Angel Di Maria reduced the deficit with a penalty earned by captain Nicolas Otamendi in stoppage time of the first half, before Otamendi leveled the score in the 84th minute.

A lifelong supporter of Boca’s rivals River Plate, Otamendi celebrated his goal provocatively in front of the opposition fans. The veteran defender led by example, contributing to both goals and recording a match-high nine clearances.

Despite finishing the game with 10 players after Andrea Belotti’s reckless red card, Benfica held firm, while Boca ended with only nine players, resulting in a hard-earned draw.

With their sights set on advancing from a competitive Group C, Bruno Lage’s team boasts a formidable attack. Although they narrowly missed out on the Portuguese Primeira Liga title to rivals Sporting Lisbon, they netted an impressive 84 goals last season.

Remarkably, only Barcelona, in a UEFA Champions League match in March, have managed to keep Benfica from scoring this year. As such, they are poised to break their unusual four-game winless run by overpowering a vulnerable Auckland City side.

Auckland, a part-time team, suffered the most lopsided defeat in Club World Cup history in their opening match, falling 10-0 to Bayern Munich. The New Zealanders were dismantled by the six-time European champions in Cincinnati, conceding four goals within the first 20 minutes.

Ranked 5,074th globally, Auckland City have now lost eight consecutive matches at FIFA’s premier club tournament since their surprising third-place finish in 2014. Last year, they were also heavily defeated 6-2 by Al-Ain in the Intercontinental Cup’s first round, underscoring the challenge of facing top-tier opposition in this year’s tough group.

Despite their dominance in Oceania, with 13 OFC Champions League titles in under 20 years, Ivan Vicelich’s squad is clearly outmatched by Europe’s finest. For Auckland, Friday’s match will likely be about minimizing the damage against a formidable Benfica side.