Benfica crush Auckland City, advance to FIFA Club World Cup knockout round

(NLDO) – Benfica had an overwhelming performance and crushed semi-professional team Auckland City with a score of 6-0 in the second match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

In the opening match, Auckland City lost 0-10 to Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, Benfica had a hard-fought 2-2 draw with Boca Juniors. To advance in this group, Benfica needs to defeat the weakest opponent, Auckland City.

Auckland City defended well in the first half of the match.

Facing the lowest-rated opponent in the group, Benfica quickly asserted their superior strength with a squad rich in experience and depth. From the first minutes, they completely controlled the game with overwhelming possession and constantly put pressure on Auckland City's goal.

Di Maria broke the deadlock with a penalty kick

However, it was not until the 45+2 minute that the deadlock was broken. Ángel Di María converted a penalty after a defender handled the ball in the box. It was a worthy reward for the constant pressure Benfica created throughout the first half with 18 shots (compared to just 1 for Auckland City).

Bad weather caused the match to be postponed for quite a while.

The second half started slower than expected due to a heavy thunderstorm that delayed the match for nearly two hours. After returning, Benfica were not only unaffected but also played explosively. In the 53rd minute, striker Vangelis Pavlidis increased the score to 2-0 with a close-range tap-in after an exemplary central combination. Just a few minutes later, Renato Sanches - a player who used to play for PSG and Bayern - made his mark with a goal from a tricky long-range shot, increasing the score to 3-0.

Vangelis Pavlidis scores his 30th goal in all competitions this season

Auckland City were completely devastated after this goal. Leandro Barreiro – the Luxembourg midfielder – had a great day with a double in the 72nd and 78th minutes, before Di María completed his double from the 11m mark in injury time, sealing a 6-0 victory for Benfica.

Leandro Barreiro scored twice

Di Maria closed the score 6-0 with a goal from the 11m mark.

Auckland City, a New Zealand team with mostly semi-professional players, had little chance to fight back. The team only had one shot in the entire match, none of which was on target. Despite the heavy defeat, the Oceania representative was still praised for their tenacity in the weather conditions and against opponents of such a different level.

Along with Seattle Sounders, Auckland City has been officially eliminated.

Speaking after the match, coach Bruno Lage expressed satisfaction with the team's performance. "We are on the right track. This victory gives Benfica a big advantage in competing for a ticket to the knockout round," he said.

With this result, Benfica rose to second place in Group C with 4 points after 2 matches, only behind Bayern Munich on goal difference. In the final round of the group stage, the two teams will face each other to determine the top spot.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/benfica-vui-dap-auckland-city-tien-sat-vong-knock-out-fifa-club-world-cup-196250621065015521.htm