Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
On June 20, at the Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Benfica and Auckland City will clash in the second round of Group C at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. I'm backing a goals bet in this fixture with a solid value.
Match preview
The Lisbon side opened their campaign with a draw against Boca Juniors, showing grit and fighting spirit as they clawed back from 0-2. However, a run of four winless games on the international stage is a worrying sign, especially given the club’s ambitions. Bruno Lage’s team is still searching for consistency, but their attacking firepower is undeniable—having scored in five of their last six matches proves just that.
With their opponents’ defensive chaos, Benfica will surely look to settle matters early, particularly considering that goal difference could be crucial. Di Maria, Bruma, and Pavlidis are capable of ramping up the pressure from the opening whistle, and the pace on the flanks could be a decisive factor. The loss of Belotti through suspension slightly narrows their attacking options, but there’s still plenty of quality in reserve.
For the New Zealand club, their opening game was a footballing nightmare—a record 0-10 defeat to Bayern Munich, the worst result in tournament history. The team looked helpless in every phase: no structure, no pressing, no attacking intent. A solitary shot on target in 90 minutes was all they could muster.
After such a heavy loss, it's vital not only to improve the result but also to restore psychological balance. Against Benfica, the minimum objective will be to withstand the early onslaught and avoid collapsing by halftime, as they did against the Germans. But given the gulf in class and experience, the Islanders are in for another tough and painful evening.
Probable lineups
- Benfica: Anatoliy Trubin – Alvaro Fernandez Carreras, Antonio Silva, Samuel Dal, Nicolas Otamendi – Fredrik Aursnes, Florentino, Renato Sanches – Angel Di Maria, Vangelis Pavlidis, Bruma
- Auckland City: Conor Tracey – Adam Mitchell, Niko Boxall, Nathan Lobo, Regan Murati – Gerard Garriga, Dylan Manickum, Michael den Heijer, Mario Ilich – Myer Bevan, David Yu
Match facts and head-to-head
- The teams have never met before.
- Auckland City are winless in their last 9 Club World Cup matches (2 draws, 7 losses).
- Benfica have conceded at least once in 8 of their last 11 international matches.
Prediction
Bayern’s demolition job showed that Auckland City are simply not prepared to compete with Champions League-caliber European clubs. Despite their opening draw, Benfica look far more assured and balanced in every department. Our bet: Over 6.5 total goals at odds of 1.76.
