Bundesliga
Bayern Munich finished second in Group C at the FIFA Club World Cup after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat against Benfica at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Benfica 1-0 Bayern
Goals: 1-0 Schjeldrup (13')
Aware that Boca Juniors were simultaneously playing Group C whipping boys Auckland City, Benfica began brightly in a bid to secure their spot in the knockout rounds.
Ángel di María tested Manuel Neuer early on with a shot from the edge of the box that the veteran goalkeeper did well to keep out, but he was powerless to prevent the Portuguese side taking the lead when Andreas Schjeldrup ghosted into the box at the back post to slot in the opener.
Evangelos Pavlidis should have doubled Benfica’s advantage over a much-changed Bayern side - with Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise and Joshua Kimmich among the substitutes – but he went looking for a penalty when one-on-one with Neuer instead of going for goal.
Although Bayern dominated possession, enjoying close to 65 percent of the ball in the first half, there was very little to see from them in the final third. Their best chances arrived just before half-time, with Leroy Sané blazing over from Serge Gnabry’s cut-back and Thomas Müller failing to make a clean connection with Sané cross from the right.
Vincent Kompany brought on Kane, Kimmich and Olise at the interval in a bid to inject more urgency into his side’s attacks, and Bayern immediately looked more dangerous, pinning Benfica inside their own penalty area initially.
Chances soon came in quick succession. Sané was denied by Anatoliy Trubin when sent through one-on-one by Kimmich, Müller fired straight at the goalkeeper from 12 yards and Aleksandar Pavlović sliced over.
Benfica regrouped through, and Neuer needed to be alert to keep out Kerem Aktürkoğlu after a brilliant turn past Dayot Upamecano. Kimmich drilled in what he thought was the equaliser from the edge of the box but it was ruled out for offside against Kane following a VAR review.
Trubin continued to frustrate Bayern as they pushed for an equaliser, producing a brilliant reaction save to thwart Pavlović from close range and then keeping out Sané late on in another one-on-one. The Bundesliga champions refused to give up as they sought a way back, but Benfica held on for a draw that sent them into the last 16 as Group C winners.
Stanišić surges into the box, but his shot is blocked behind for a corner. Olise's cross finds Kane, who heads narrowly wide before the whistle sounds for a foul by the Englishman on Otamendi. That was probably the last chance...
Olise grabbed a late winner against Boca, but the Frenchman's latest effort is always rising. Trubin will take his time over the resultant goal-kick...
Trubin punches clear with authority, accidentally catching Pavlović in the process. Eight additional minutes for Bayern to find an equaliser...
The Benfica stopper with his best save yet, the Ukrainian throwing up an arm to block Sané's attempted chip in a one-on-one initiated by Kane's brilliant pass.
The shot's on for Sané, but he's on his unfavoured right side and shoots over.
Silva does really well to prevent Kane turning Laimer's back-post cross goalwards. It really is backs to the wall for Benfica!
Bayern are camped inside the Benfica half as the red shirts fend off a couple of probing runs from Olise and Sané. Laimer then swings over a cross that Trubin does well to hold.
Sanches can't continue against his former club. Adrian Bajrami, on a yellow card coming into the game, is his replacement in the Benfica midfield.
Sanches gone down with what looks like a muscular problem. The Benfica physios are on...
Benfica are all at sea as Olise swings a ball in towards the six-yard area. Pavlović takes on the shot after Müller flicks it on, the Bayern youngster firing at Trubin's outstretched leg from point-blank range.
What have the Bayern players got in the tank as they chase top spot in Group C?
Water and ice all round. Bayern are going to finish second behind Benfica, unless they can get a result in the final 20 minutes or so. Over in Nashville, already eliminated Auckland are level against third-placed Boca.
The game's getting stretched as Kökcü races forward on the counter. He could go for goal, but elects to pull back a pass that's cleared.
Moments after Kane goes down in the box trying to meet an Olise cross, Laimer sends a shot against the woodwork. Trubin didn't move!
Another change, this one at right-back, with Bayern in the ascendancy...
Kimmich wheels away in celebration after finding the bottom corner from 18 yards, but it won't count. Kane was offside and obscuring the goalkeeper's view.
Bayern also go for a like-for-like change as new signing Tah replaces Upamecano at the back. He meets a corner with his first touch, but doesn't make the desired connection to trouble Trubin.
Bayern's skipper gets down really well to prevent Benfica substitute Kerem Aktürkoglu from finding the back of the net with virtually his first touch. Orkun Kökcü has also come on for the Portuguese side.
Olise breezes past his marker on the right-hand side, but his cut-back is hoofed clear. Pavlović then sends a rising drive over the crossbar following a flowing passing move. It's been all Bayern since the restart.
Trubin is at it again, this time closing down the angle to prevent Sané applying the finishing touch to Kimmich's sublime through-ball. Bayern win it back and work an opening for Müller, whose shot from inside the area is straight at the goalkeeper.
Another brilliant ball from the Bayern sub forces Trubin to race off his line to prevent a white shirt directing it goalwards.
Kimmich swings in a free-kick that Pavlidis does really well to head clear. Encouraging start to the second period from Bayern...
Kimmich, Kane and Olise - who has a tournament-leading five goal contributions at the Club World Cup - are on for Bischof, Palhinha and Gnabry as the second half gets going.
Sané swings a brilliant cross into the penalty area for Müller, who's goal side of his marker but off balance. In the end, the ball hits him mid-air and trickles through to Trubin.
Gnabry drives towards the byline and cuts a teasing ball back towards the edge of the area for Sané, but he can't keep his shot down.
Prestianni drenches himself in water before returning to the field of play.
Both sets of players take on more fluid after Benfica's Prestianni receives treatment on the pitch. Hard to tell if this is heat related or an injury...
Tidy build-up from Benfica, but Di Maria's attempt from the left of the Bayern area sails harmlessly off target.
Bayern go on the attack with Gnabry, who cuts into the box from the left before having a rising strike charged down.
The players are back out after taking on fluid and ice. Bayern's subs are in the dressing room, though, taking shelter from the baking heat.
Bayern work the ball up the left-hand side, but the attack breaks down when it's shifted inside and Bischof's first touch evades him. The players then head off for a much-needed cooling break...
Neuer races out of his goal to deal with a long ball, his attempted clearance hitting the back of Upamecano and ballooning behind for a Benfica corner. This isn't like Bayern at all...
The free-kick comes to nothing after ex-Bayern man Sanches was booked for a foul on Müller. Kompany doesn't look too impressed right now.
Upamecano can't catch Pavlidis as the Benfica forward races in on the Bayern goal. It opens up for him, but he decides to throw himself to the deck in search of a penalty that was never going to be given. A waste for Benfica, but a let-off for Bayern.
Di Maria rolls back the years with a jinking run into the Bayern box. He skips past a couple of challenges, before going to ground under muted penalty appeals. Nothing in that.
Well, well. Benfica move top of the live standings after taking the lead in North Carolina. Aursnes goes on the overlap and pulls a cross back to the centre of the Bayern area for Schjeldrup to sweep a finish into the bottom corner. Kompany's crew trail for the first time at the finals...
Neuer makes a sprawling save to push Di Maria's daisy-cutter wide. Fantastic goalkeeping from the Bayern captain - but what's new?
Teams
Benfica: Trubin - Aursnes, António Silva, Otamendi (c), Dahl - Di María (Rego 86'), Renato Sanches (Bajrami 78'), Prestianni (Kökçü 54'), Barreiro, Schjelderup (Aktürkoğlu 55') - Pavlidis (Gouveia 87')
Unused subs: Ferreira, Oliveira, Wynder, Santos, Veloso, Luis, Prioste, Bruma
Out: Belotti (suspended), Florentino (shoulder)
Coach: Bruno Lage
Bayern: Neuer (c) - Boey (Laimer 62'), Stanišić, Upamecano (Tah 58'), Guerreiro - Palhinha (Kimmich 46'), Pavlović - Sané, Bischof (Kane 46'), Gnabry (Olise 46') - Müller
Unused subs: Peretz, Urbig, Goretzka, Coman, Kiala, Kusia-Asare, Musiala, Karl, Santos, Aznou
Out: Buchmann (shoulder), Davies (knee), Dier (transfer), Ito (metatarsal), Kim (achilles)
Coach: Vincent Kompany
As it happened!