Benfica sealed a 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, to finish as Group C winners and book their spot in the Club World Cup last 16. The match kicked off at 3pm local time (20:00 BST) under sweltering 36°C heat, with both sides struggling to find top form in the taxing conditions.
The decisive moment came in the 13th minute when Andreas Schjelderup finished calmly from 15 yards, following a smart pull-back from Fredrik Aursnes.
With the win, Benfica advance to face Chelsea, the runners-up from Group D.
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Bayern had already secured qualification and manager Vincent Kompany made seven changes from the team that defeated Boca Juniors 2-1 on Friday. However, at halftime, he introduced Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Joshua Kimmich in a triple substitution to try and turn the game around.
Kimmich appeared to have drawn Bayern level with a low strike from 25 yards, but the goal was disallowed as Kane was judged to have obstructed goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s view from an offside position.
Bayern dominated the second half, with Aleksandar Pavlovic forcing a save and Leroy Sane missing two late chances, but they couldn’t find an equaliser and were forced to settle for second place in the group.
