Benfica secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich to finish top of Group C at the Club World Cup, with both teams still progressing to the knockout stage.
The decisive moment came early, as Andreas Schjelderup converted Fredrik Aursnes’ cross in the 13th minute, capping a dominant first-half performance from the Portuguese outfit.
Vincent Kompany’s Bayern side endured a frustrating evening in the United States, falling short in their bid to top the group. Winger Leroy Sane struggled to make an impact, reflecting a broader lack of spark in Bayern’s play.
The German champions looked livelier after the interval, with top scorer Harry Kane introduced from the bench.
However, their search for an equaliser came up short. Sane squandered a golden one-on-one opportunity, while Joshua Kimmich’s long-range strike was disallowed as Kane, standing in an offside position, was judged to have obstructed the goalkeeper.
Bayern pushed late on, with Sane again denied and Kane heading wide from a corner, but they couldn’t break through.
The result leaves them sharing the same half of the draw as Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
Benfica’s win positions them for a likely Round of 16 clash with Chelsea, provided the Premier League side avoid defeat against ES Tunis in their final Group D match to secure second place. That tie would take place on Saturday.
Despite a dominant first half, Benfica had to dig deep after the break. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin proved the difference, pulling off crucial saves, including two from Sane and another from close range to deny Aleksandar Pavlovic, while commanding his box well under mounting pressure.