Benfica vs Bayern Munich Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025 FIFA Club World Cup | Group Stage

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Bayern Munich have already sealed their qualification for the knockout stages of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, whilst Benfica will also fancy their chances of joining them.

Kick-off date/time:

How to watch on TV & online: UK – DAZN / US – DAZN

Benfica team news: Belotti suspended

Benfica have a few players missing from their squad for this tournament due to injury, such as Alexander Bah, Manu Silva and Zeki Amdouni. Andrea Belotti is serving the second of his two-match suspension for being sent off in their opener.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Trubin; Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Leandro Barreiro, Kokcu; Di Maria, Prestianni, Akturkoglu; Pavlidis

Unavailable: Belotti (Suspended)

Questionable: 

Bayern Munich team news: Musiala a doubt

Jamal Musiala came off the bench and scored a hat-trick against Auckland City, but he remains not yet fully fit, having to come off the bench and then be substituted later in the game against Boca Juniors. Kim Min-jae is unavailable for the Bavarians.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Stanisic, Tah, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Gnabry, Coman; Kane

Unavailable: Kim (Injured)

Questionable: Musiala (Injured)

Key stats

• Bayern are unbeaten in the previous 13 competitive matches between these teams – all in UEFA competitions – with ten wins and three draws (W10 D3 L0). The German club defeated Benfica 1-0 at home on Matchday 4 of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League with a goal from Jamal Musiala.
• Bayern have won six and drawn three of their last nine matches in all competitions (W6 D3 L0).
• Benfica have lost only one of their last 15 matches in all competitions (W10 D4 L1).
• Benfica have scored in each of their last 17 matches in all competitions.
• Ángel Di María’s second goal against Auckland was his 50th in all competitions for Benfica.
• Against Auckland, Vangelis Pavlidis scored his 30th goal since the start of the 2024-25 season.
• Michael Olise has scored in each of Bayern’s last six competitive matches (seven goals in total). Overall, he has 13 goal involvements in the six games (seven goals and six assists).
• Harry Kane has scored in five of his last six matches for club and country.
• Benfica’s Nicolás Otamendi and Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany were central defensive partners at Manchester City from 2015-19.
• Benfica’s Renato Sanches played for Bayern from 2016-19.
• Benfica’s Leandro Barreiro made nine appearances against Bayern in all competitions when he was at Mainz (2016-2024). He scored twice in the nine encounters.
• Bayern’s Eric Dier and João Palhinha have both faced Benfica when playing for their local rivals Sporting CP.
• Bayern’s João Palhinha and Raphaël Guerreiro are Portuguese national team players.
• Bayern won the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League final, at Benfica’s Estádio da Luz, 1-0 against a Paris Saint-Germain side featuring Benfica’s Ángel Di María.
• Bayern forward Harry Kane has not scored in his last six matches against Benfica defender Nicolás Otamendi. The last time was in the 2015/16 season when he found the net home and away for Tottenham against Manchester City in the English Premier League.
• Benfica’s Nicolás Otamendi and Ángel Di María (Argentina) faced Bayern pair Dayot Upamecano and Kingsley Coman (France) in the final of the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
• Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer were both on the winning side against Benfica’s Nicolás Otamendi and Ángel Di María when Germany defeated Argentina 4-0 in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup in 2010. Müller was on the scoresheet in the game.

Benfica vs Bayern Munich prediction

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Bruno Lage is in charge of a Benfica side that require a point to ensure knockout qualification. They came from 2-0 down to share a draw with Boca Juniors in their fiery opener before then eventually hammering Auckland City by six goals to nil the other day.

Bayern Munich began their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup group stage campaign with a 10-0 annihilation of Auckland City in their opening game. They then eventually defeated Boca Juniors by two goals to one in a hard-fought encounter in Miami in which Michael Olise scored a late winner for the Bavarians.

Benfica need a point but they have appeared fairly unconvincing thus far in the tournament, so siding with Bayern Munich may well still be the way to go for this one.

Benfica vs Bayern Munich tip: Double chance – Bayern Munich to win or draw