Benfica Secures Historic Victory Over Bayern Munich in FIFA Club World Cup

CHARLOTTE: In a tightly contested match held at the Bank of America Stadium on Tuesday, Benfica managed to narrowly defeat Bayern Munich 1-0, thanks to an initial goal from Andreas Schjelderup and an impressive goalkeeping display by Anatoliy Trubin.

This triumph propelled Benfica to the top spot in Group C of the FIFA Club World Cup, guaranteeing their progression to the Round of 16. Furthermore, this win signified Benfica’s first competitive victory against the German powerhouse, adding extra importance to the Portuguese club’s achievement.

Benfica opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Angel Di María delivered an intelligent pass to Fredrik Aursnes, who then sent a precise low cross into the penalty area. Schjelderup, the 20-year-old Norwegian midfielder, capitalized with perfect timing, executing a clinical one-touch finish that beat Manuel Neuer.

Despite already securing their place in the knockout stage, Bayern appeared disorganized during the first half. However, they intensified their efforts in the second half, generating numerous promising opportunities.

Trubin emerged as the key player, executing four vital saves to protect Benfica’s lead and achieve his second successive clean sheet. Bayern believed they had leveled the score in the 61st minute through Joshua Kimmich, but the goal was overturned due to Harry Kane being in an offside position and deemed to have influenced the play.

Trubin continued his stellar performance, thwarting Aleksandar Pavlovic from close range in the 74th minute and preventing another dangerous attempt from Leroy Sané in the 87th minute.

In the Round of 16, Benfica is set to face Chelsea, the runners-up from Group D. Meanwhile, Bayern will compete against Flamengo, the winners of Group D, on Monday.