Luis Torres
Dailysports's expert
On June 20, 2025, the second round of the FIFA Club World Cup Group C will feature a clash between Benfica and Auckland City. The match kicks off at 18:00 Central European Time. Let's take a look at the best bet for team scoring in this encounter.
Benfica
Benfica kicked off their Club World Cup campaign with a dramatic draw against Boca Juniors—a match that was vibrant, emotional, and intense. The Argentine side raced to a 2-0 lead by the midway point of the first half, but towards the end of the half Ángel Di María converted a penalty to reduce the deficit. After the break, Benfica were reduced to ten men as Andrea Belotti received a red card, but even that didn’t stop Nicolás Otamendi from leveling the score. In the end, Boca had two players sent off, and the thrilling contest finished 2-2.
To keep their playoff hopes alive, the Portuguese side must secure a win in their next match against Auckland City. After that, they’ll hope Bayern Munich clinch qualification early and take it easy against the Lisbon side in the third round.
Benfica is an experienced and decorated club, although their domestic season was mixed. They lost the title race to Sporting, drawing both crucial encounters, and fell short in the national cup final—again to Sporting, but this time in extra time.
The squad boasts a well-balanced mix of youth and experience. Special motivation will be driving Ángel Di María—this tournament will be his farewell appearance for Benfica before he heads home to Argentina to end his career.
Auckland City
Auckland City is the leading club from the Oceania region, representing New Zealand. However, on the international stage, the team has repeatedly faced serious challenges: tough experiences and heavy defeats against top-tier opponents have become an unfortunate tradition. In the opening round of this Club World Cup, the New Zealanders were thrashed by Bayern Munich 0-10, managing just a single shot on target throughout the match.
Such defeats are nothing new for Auckland. In 2024, they played in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and were eliminated in the round of 16, losing 2-6 to Al Ain from the UAE. The year before, at the Club World Cup, Auckland City also exited in the first round, falling 0-3 to Al-Ittihad from Saudi Arabia.
Nonetheless, they continue to dominate regionally: triumphs in the OFC Champions League and their domestic league confirm their superiority within Oceania. With the new Club World Cup format introducing a group stage, Auckland City now has the opportunity to play more matches and, despite the clear gap in class, to fight for a respectable showing for their region on the world stage. Up next, the New Zealanders face Boca Juniors and Benfica—prime chances to gain invaluable international experience and further their development.
Probable lineups
- Benfica: Trubin, Djaló, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras, Aursnes, Barreiro, Bruma, Kokçu, Aktürkoglu, Pavlidis.
- Auckland City: Tracey, Lobo, Mitchell, Boxall, Murati, Garriga, Den Heyer, Illich, Menikum, Bevan, David Yu.
Interesting facts and head-to-head
- Benfica are unbeaten in 15 of their last 16 matches.
- Benfica have scored first in 3 of their last 4 matches.
- Auckland City are unbeaten in 8 of their last 9 matches.
- This is the first-ever meeting between these two teams.
Benfica vs Auckland City match prediction
Historically, Auckland have struggled against teams of this caliber—against Benfica, the New Zealanders will once again spend most of the 90 minutes defending. After their heavy defeat to Bayern in the opening round, it’s clear the team’s defensive issues remain unresolved. Considering Benfica’s quality and motivation as they fight for a playoff spot, a convincing win for the Portuguese side looks likely. Expect a high-scoring affair—Auckland frequently makes defensive errors, while Benfica love to attack and are often involved in goal-filled matches. My tip for this match: over 6.5 goals at odds of 1.69.
