SL Benfica 1-0 Bayern Munich: Initial Observations and Reactions

Fulltime Observations

• Vincent Kompany’s substitutions at halftime (Joshua Kimmich, Harry Kane, and Michael Olise) turned a static match into a thrilling watch but ultimately failed to find the equalizer against a very organized Benfica defense.
• It’s insane that Michael Olise is only 23 years old. His creative ability was unparalleled today as he gave the Charlotte crowd quite the show.
• Today was another reminder that Bayern has a variety of quality possession players but are not particularly efficient or clinical inside the box. Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin proved up to the task and his efforts have rewarded Benfica with a first place finish in the group.
• It’s very possible that this is the last time that Thomas Müller and Leroy Sané wear the Bayern jersey. Both had forgettable performances, including several missed opportunities by Sané in front of goal.
• Bayern will head back to Florida and play Group D winner Flamengo on Sunday, July 29th in Miami.

FT: Bayern loses 1-0.

89’: Yellow card. Tiago Gouveia is booked for time wasting.

87’: Substitutions. João Rêgo and Tiago Gouveia replace Ángel Di María and Vangelis Pavlidis.

78’: Substitution. Adrian Bajrami replaces Renato Sanches.

75’: Aleksandar Pavlović misses at point blank range. Bayern is knocking on Benfica’s door.

69’: At the cooling break, Bayern is pounding on Benfica’s net in search of an equalizer.

66’: Konrad Laimer hits the post! Laimer is ruled offside as well.

62’: Substitution. Konrad Laimer replaces Sacha Boey. Bayern is out of substitutions.

60’: Joshua Kimmich left-footed blast from outside the box is negated by an offside call.

58’: Substitution. Jonathan Tah replaces Dayot Upamecano.

55’: Substitutions. Orkun Kökçü and Kerem Aktürkoğlu replace Gianluca Prestianni and Andreas Schjelderup.

46’: Yellow card. With his first pass, Michael Olise forces Nicolás Otamendi into a booking.

46’: Substitutions. Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Joshua Kimmich replace Tom Bischof, Serge Gnabry, and João Palhinha.

Halftime Observations

• During Vincent Kompany’s tenure, Bayern fans have been clamoring for more minutes for the bench players. In the sweltering heat, Kompany rotated the entire starting lineup against Benfica’s best XI and the results were predictable. There has been an insane lack of communication, movement, and quality from Bayern thus far.
• How is Ángel Di María still this good? The 37-year old Argentine midfielder still has a quick first step and outrageous dribbling skills that turned Josip Stanišić inside out.
• Tom Bischof is making his Bayern debut. On the bright side, he’s the only Bayern attacker moving off the ball. However, his touches have left something to be desired. Hopefully, he can settle in and find his groove in the second half. If the other three veteran attackers decide to start putting in some effort, that might be helpful.
• Aleksandar Pavlović and João Palhinha are not built to play next to each other. There is no forward momentum from either player, even when there is no pressure on the ball.
• Bayern looked a little more organized after the cooling break, but it’s also possible that Benfica just decided to conserve energy and sit back a little bit.

HT: Bayern down 1-0.

30’: Cooling break.

19’: Yellow card. Renato Sanches is booked for stepping on Thomas Müller’s toe.

13’: Goal, Benfica. Bayern down 1-0. A cross slips through the box and Andreas Schjelderup buries the shot.

9’: Manuel Neuer makes a big save on Ángel Di María’s shot from outside the box.

1’: LET’S GOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Thanks to a late goal from Michael Olise, Bayern Munich will into the third and final match of the group stage with a guaranteed spot in the Round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup. Bayern crushed Auckland City (10-0), squeezed past Boca Juniors (2-1), and will take on SL Benfica looking to remain undefeated and win the group.

Historically, Bayern has owned Benfica in 13 meetings (10W-3D-0L) across the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, and European Cup. In all three draws, Bayern won the other leg and eliminated Benfica.

Benfica also made light work of Auckland City (6-0) but tied Boca Juniors (2-2). Benfica can finish in first place with a win, second place with a draw, or leave it up to goal differential with a loss.

Odds: Bayern (-105), Draw (+200), Benfica (+350)

Prediction: Bayern draws 2-2. With temperatures peaking at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, this game will be hot and heavy for about 30 minutes before it drags out the final hour. Bayern will take an early lead on a clever pass from Thomas Müller to Harry Kane. Bayern will score early in the second half but concede two goals in the last 15 minutes. Bayern will still win the group and be pleased with the first 75 minutes and another undefeated group stage.

It’s Bayern time.

While you’re waiting for the game, why not check out the postgame podcast from the exciting win over Boca Juniors? Listen to it below or on Spotify.

Match Info

Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, USA

Date: Tuesday, June 24th, 2025

Time: 3:00pm local time (EST)

TV/streaming: TNT, DAZN USA, Find Your Country

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