Benfica vs Bayern Munich predictions: Bayern to make it three from three
&w=707&quality=100)
- Bayern Munich have defeated both Auckland City and Boca Juniors
- The Bavarians beat Benfica 1-0 in the 2024-25 Champions League
- Recommended bet: Bayern Munich to win and both teams to score
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich opened their Club World Cup campaign with a record 10-0 win over Auckland City before battling past Boca Juniors 2-1 to book their place in the last 16.
On Tuesday, they face Benfica in Charlotte, with As Aguias sitting two points behind the German giants and knowing a draw at Bank of America Stadium will be good enough for them to qualify.
Bruno Lage's team came from behind to tie 2-2 with Boca in their opening game and then beat Auckland 6-0.
With Boca also expected to come good against the Kiwis, Benfica cannot afford any slip-ups.
However, they have never beaten Bayern, so they may fall short and need to hope Azul y Oro fail to match their goal difference.
Team news
Benfica's comfortable win over Auckland City suggests that Lage will select a largly unchanged side.
However, defender Alvaro Carreras is suspended, while there could be a doubt over midfielder Orkun Kokcu after being engaged in a war of words with the coach following his withdrawal in that victory in Orlando.
Midfielder Florentino Luis is nursing a shoulder injury but striker Andrea Belotti might be available, with his two-game ban for being sent off against Boca under appeal.
Renato Sanches could also feature off the bench against his former club Bayern, who have received a boost with Jamal Musiala returning to training after he went off only 25 minutes after coming on for Serge Gnabry against Boca.
Musiala has been nursing a hamstring injury, so Gnabry could keep his place, although Thomas Muller is another option to start as Vincent Kompany looks to keep his big names fresh for the knockout rounds.
The stats
Bayern have won their two Group C matches by an aggregate of 12-1.
Benfica are on four points after drawing with Boca and beating Auckland and are aware a point will be enough to qualify for the last 16.
Musiala scored the only goal when the teams met in the 2024-25 Champions League and has netted three times at the Club World Cup, the same number as team-mate Michael Olise and Benfica's Angel Di Maria.
Before that 1-0 win, four of the five previous games between these two had featured four or more goals.
Bayern have never lost to Benfica in 13 meetings and have won the Club World Cup twice, in 2013 and 2021.
Prediction
&w=707&quality=100)
Eyebrows were raised when Bayern appointed Kompany as their head coach in the summer of 2024 but despite making mistakes, he and his team improved as his first season went on and his team won the Bundesliga by 13 points.
Crashing out of the Champions League to Inter Milan in the quarter-finals was a blow and the Belgian and his players have a point to prove in the USA.
They gave Auckland City both barrels in their first game and showed spirit to overcome a determined Boca, with Harry Kane scoring the opener and assisting Olise for the winner, either side of Miguel Merentiel's equaliser, to guarantee a second-round spot.
Benfica also waltzed past Auckland after overcoming a two-goal deficit against Boca and know a defeat may mean elimination, depending on how the Argentineans fare.
However, they lost to Bayern in the Champions League in 2024-25 and could fall short again.
That fixture finished 1-0 but is an outlier in recent matches played by these sides and it promises to be a more open affair in North Carolina.
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!
Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!
