FOOTBALL – Benfica’s Andreas Schjelderup struck in the first half to seal a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in sweltering heat yesterday, sending the Portuguese side to the top of Group C at the Club World Cup.
After securing their first-ever victory over Bayern, Benfica will face Chelsea or Esperance de Tunis in the last 16. Bayern, finishing second, are set to face Group D leaders Flamengo.
“I think our first half wasn’t good at all. With the pitch and the heat, I just feared this wouldn’t go as fluid as normal,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany told DAZN.
“It’s football. If you have chances and don’t take them, you pay the price... (against Flamengo) it’s going to be a tough game. We know we can create chances.”
Schjelderup broke the deadlock after 13 minutes, netting with a first-time effort from Fredrik Aursnes’ low cross from the right, capitalising on a lapse in Bayern’s back line.
With Bayern already assured of a place in the next round, their rotated lineup lacked urgency and failed to register a single shot on target in a flat first half.
The German champions improved after the break and Joshua Kimmich thought he had equalised only for his effort to be ruled out for a Harry Kane offside just past the hour mark.
Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin played a key role in preserving the lead, producing sharp saves to deny Aleksandar Pavlovic and Leroy Sane.
“It was a good game against an amazing team, it was not only me, it was the whole team,” said Trubin, who was named man of the match.
Meanwhile, Boca Juniors were held to a 1-1 draw by Auckland City and failed to reach the knockout stage in steamy Nashville, Tennessee, where the match was suspended for nearly 50 minutes due to stormy weather.
Boca came into the game needing both a convincing win against already-eliminated Auckland City to overturn a seven-goal difference with Benfica and for the Portuguese club to lose to German champions Bayern Munich in the other Group C fixture.
Auckland City had just drawn level shortly after the break when lightning in the area forced players off the field.
Boca went ahead in the first half courtesy of an own goal by Auckland City goalkeeper Nathan Garrow while Christian Gray drew his side level in the 52nd minute with a header that sailed inside the right post.
Al Ahly and Porto shared a 4-4 thriller in their final game but both will head home after Inter Miami and Palmeiras drew to progress to the round of 16 from Group A.
Palestine striker Wessam Abou Ali scored a hat-trick and Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane also found the net for the Egyptian champions but Porto pegged them back every time they went ahead.
Teenagers Rodrigo Mora and William Gomes, substitute Samu Aghehowa and Pepe all scored for the Portuguese club as both teams all but abandoned defending in search of goals that might keep them alive in the tournament.
In the end, though, a draw was not enough for either side and the 2-2 stalemate between Inter and Palmeiras in Miami was enough to render all of the many other permutations null and void.
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