Benfica vs Auckland City: Kick-off at 9:45 PM Nepal Time

After a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Boca Juniors in their opening game, Benfica will aim to claim full points when they face Auckland City. Benfica showed great character to come back from 2-0 down thanks to stars Angel Di Maria and captain Nicolas Otamendi. Despite being down to 10 men, they held off Boca’s reduced squad to share the points.

Match Details

• Match: Benfica vs Auckland City
• Competition: FIFA Club World Cup 2024, Group C
• Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
• Kick-off Time: 9:45 PM Nepal Time
• Venue: Orlando, USA

Benfica’s attack is strong, having scored 84 goals last season in Portugal’s Primeira Liga. They want to break their recent winless streak by beating Auckland City convincingly.

Auckland City’s start was tough, suffering a record 10-0 loss to Bayern Munich. The New Zealand side is Oceania’s best with 13 OFC Champions League titles but struggles against top European teams. They will focus on damage control in this match.

Team News

• Benfica may rest some starters like Orkun Kokcu and Kerem Akturkoglu. Suspended striker Andrea Belotti misses out. Greece’s Vangelis Pavlidis leads the attack.
• Auckland City’s main player is Myer Bevan, supported by futsal star Dylan Manickum. Goalkeeper Conor Tracey is expected to be busy.

Possible Lineups

• Benfica: Trubin; Dahl, A. Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Aursnes, Luis, Sanches; Akturkoglu, Pavlidis, Schjelderup
• Auckland City: Tracey; Murati, Boxall, Den Heijer, Mitchell, Lobo; De Vries, Garriga, Ilich, Manickum; Bevan

Prediction: Benfica 6-0 Auckland City

Benfica will look to improve their goal difference and secure a strong win. Auckland City may try to be more competitive but face a tough challenge.