After confirming their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, Bayern Munich now aims to win Group C as they take on second-placed Benfica at the Bank of America Stadium.
BEN vs BAY Match Details
Date: Tuesday, 24 June 2025 / Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Time: 15:00 (EDT) / 00:30 (IST)
Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
BEN vs BAY Match Preview
After playing out a 2-2 comeback draw against Boca Juniors, Benfica registered their first win in their debut Club World Cup with a 6-0 thrashing of now-eliminated Auckland City FC. Despite dominating the entire game, the Eagles only broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when Angel Di Maria converted a penalty for the second game running. It motivated Bruno Lage’s side to go for the kill in the second half, with Vangelis Pavlidis and the substitute Renato Sanches adding to the advantage before Leandro Barreiro completed a brace. There was still time for the Argentinian star to convert one more penalty as he winds down his time with the club on a high. It was a much-needed result for Benfica, who were in a four-game winless streak before the game and propelled themselves to the second spot in their group after Boca Juniors also lost their game against Bayern Munich. Due to their positive goal difference, the Argentinian giants not only have to beat Auckland City in their final group game but also with a huge goal margin, giving a comfort zone for the Portuguese outfit, who can still qualify if they lose against the Bavarians. However, losing in any circumstance is not an option, especially for a team that has lost just once in 15 games despite having a dodgy form. Benfica have never defeated Bayern in their history, so claiming a first-ever win in this fixture in the first-ever meeting at the global stage will be cherished for a long time.
Vincent Kompany’s team won’t be allowing such a scenario to play out, even though they have progressed to the last-16 stage with a 2-1 win over Boca Juniors in the last game following their record 10-0 smashing of Auckland City in their competition opener. Harry Kane, who surprisingly did not have his name on the scoresheet in that huge win, opened the scoring against the Genoese in the 18th minute only to see the lead cut out by Miguel Merentiel past the hour mark. Bayern’s star player of last season and in the previous game, Michael Olise, came up with the 84th minute to also break the shock nine-game unbeaten streak South American teams were carrying in this iteration of the competition. The side has proved to be indestructible so far, with nothing expected to change when they face Benfica in the final group game in the hope of winning Group C. The Bundesliga champions are looking to make it a perfect three out of three in the group stage with a stellar unbeaten record against the Eagles, winning eight out of all 12 games in the UEFA Champions League. A staggering 29 goals were scored, with the German giants putting four or more on five occasions. That only puts pressure on the opposition, even though they have sealed their path in the knockouts, while a Bayern win will also extend their winning run to six games in this fixture and their unbeaten streak in all competitions to 10.
BEN vs BAY Recent Form (all competitions)
BEN: DDLDW
BAY: DWWWW
BEN vs BAY Recent Form (CWC 2025)
BEN: DW
BAY: WW
BEN vs BAY Predicted Lineups
Benfica
Trubin; Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Barreiro, Kokcu; Di Maria, Prestianni, Akturkoglu; Pavlidis
Bayern Munich
Neuer; Laimer, Tah, Stanisic, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Coman; Kane
BEN vs BAY Dream11 Match Prediction
Bayern Munich’s excellent form should continue in their final group game, even though Benfica have the potential to make the contest a close one. The Bavarians have an extra edge in their attack, which will help them win the group. We predict a 2-1 win for Kompany’s side.
BEN vs BAY Dream11 Team Top picks
Captain Pick: Michael Olise
Vice-captain Picks: Harry Kane, Di Maria
Our top pick for BEN vs BAY Dream11 Team is Michael Olise, with three goals and two assists in the last two games. The winger has contributed to 15 goals in his past 10 games.
BEN vs BAY Dream11 Team Suggestion
GK: Trubin (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 40)
DEF: A Silva (Cr - 8, Pts - 58), Otamendi (Cr - 8, Pts - 171), Tah (Cr - 8, Pts - 98)
MID: Musiala (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 187), Kimmich (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 64), Di Maria (Cr - 8, Pts - 221), Coman (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 197)
FW: Olise (Cr - 9, Pts - 231), Pavlidis (Cr - 9, Pts - 88), Kane (Cr - 9, Pts - 90)
Vice-captain: Harry Kane
Captain: Michael Olise
