Andreas Schjelderup scored early and Benfica held on amid oppressive conditions for a 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich on Tuesday afternoon in Charlotte.
Anatoliy Trubin made four saves to keep Benfica’s second consecutive clean sheet and preserve its first-ever competitive victory over Bayern as the Portuguese club finished atop Group C and extended their FIFA Club World Cup campaign.
Benfica (2-0-1, 7 points) will face either Chelsea or Esperance de Tunis, who play later Tuesday to decide the second spot in Group D, in a Saturday round- of-16 clash also in Charlotte.
A heavily rotated Bayern (2-1-0, 6 points) had already clinched their spot in the knockout phase and will face Group D winner Flamengo on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Florida
Benfica went in front 13 minutes into a sluggish first half that was played amid temperatures hovering around 97 degrees and beneath bright sunshine.
Ángel Di María played a ball wide down the right for Fredrik Aursnes, who then dragged a low cross back to the penalty area. That’s where Schjelderup met it in stride and fired a low first-time finish past Manuel Neuer.
Trubin was exceptional after halftime as Benfica weathered increasing Bayern pressure.
In the 51st minute, Leroy Sané ran onto Joshua Kimmich’s ball over the top but was denied by Trubin, who also made a more comfortable save of Thomas Müller’s follow-up effort seconds later.
Kimmich thought he’d scored from the edge of the penalty area in the 61st minute, but the goal was ruled offside because Harry Kane was standing in an offside position and in the goalkeeper’s view.
In the 74th minute, he denied Aleksandar Pavlovic with an outstretched leg from about 10 yards after Bayern’s initial cross from the right rattled off a few bodies inside the area.
Then in the 87th, he thwarted Sané on the break for a second time after Sané ran onto Harry Kane’s excellent through ball.
Early goal holds up as Benfica beats Bayern Munich to advance to knockouts
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Early goal holds up as Benfica beats Bayern Munich to advance to knockouts
- Anatoliy Trubin made four saves to keep Benfica’s second consecutive clean sheet
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s son could lift a trophy for AC Milan at Super Cup
- The younger Ibrahimovic could make his debut in one of the Rossoneri’s two matches in Saudi Arabia
- “They have good skills,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said
MILAN: An Ibrahimovic could be lifting a trophy for AC Milan on Monday.
The talismanic Zlatan Ibrahimovic hasn’t come out of retirement but his 19-year-old son, Maximilian, has been called up by Milan for the Italian Super Cup.
Maximilian Ibrahimovic is one of six players from Milan’s reserve team who traveled to Saudi Arabia with the senior squad amid an ever lengthening injury list for the club.
His father scored 93 goals in 163 appearances over two spells at Milan, winning two Serie A titles and the Italian Super Cup.
The younger Ibrahimovic could make his debut in one of the Rossoneri’s two matches in Saudi Arabia.
“They have good skills,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said on Wednesday. “I wanted to reward them for what they are doing in training.”
Milan, the Italian Cup runner-up, face Serie A champion Napoli on Thursday. Italian Cup winner Bologna play Serie A runner-up Inter Milan the following day, with the final on Monday.
Out of the four teams, only Inter won at the weekend, beating Genoa to go top of Serie A after Milan and Napoli both dropped points.
Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by Sassuolo — the third promoted team they have failed to beat this season, after a shock defeat at home to Cremonese on the opening day and a draw against Pisa.
“We should be angry but not demoralized,” Allegri said.
Milan managed to end the round in second place, a point below Inter and a one above Napoli, which lost at Udinese. Bologna lost at home to Juventus.
Despite their struggles against the promoted clubs, Milan have managed to beat the other teams in the top four this season, including Napoli.
“Tomorrow is a different match, it’s a knockout game where the aim is to get to the final,” Allegri said. “Napoli are a very strong team and they will be angry after the loss to Udinese.
“When there are difficult moments, (Napoli coach) Antonio Conte always manages to get the best out of his teams.”
Milan won the Italian Super Cup for the eighth time last season, beating Inter in the final to end a run of three straight titles for the Nerazzurri.
Napoli have won the competition twice — in 1990 and 2014. Bologna, which ended a 51-year wait for a major trophy with the Italian Cup, have never lifted the Super Cup.
