Benfica vs Bayern Munich: Club World Cup Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

On Tuesday night, Bayern Munich will play Benfica to end their Group C journey, having already secured a spot in the Club World Cup knockout round.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Beginning with Benfica, Bruno Lage's squad will be eager to improve from last weekend's straightforward 6-0 win over Group C whipping boys Auckland City.  The former Wolves manager is urging his team to recover from their recent instability as they begin their Club World Cup campaign on June 16 with a thrilling 2-2 draw against Boca Juniors. 

Benfica have only managed one win in their last five matches across all competitions, and they suffered Taca de Portugal agony on May 25 when they lost 3-1 to bitter rivals Sporting Lisbon.  The Eagles will face a massive test in North Carolina, even if Lage's team could have been in a strong position to punch their knockout ticket on Tuesday night.

Even if many at the Allianz were taken aback by Vincent Kompany's arrival last summer, Bayern Munich is enjoying life under the former Burnley manager.  In addition to reclaiming the Bundesliga title last season, the German powerhouse has started its Club World Cup journey in a whirlwind. 

Bayern set a new record on June 15 with a 10-0 hammering of Auckland City, and they have already secured a spot in the next round.  With their most recent victory coming in a 2-1 win against Boca Juniors, Kompany's squad has only lost once in their last fourteen matches played in all competitions.  Furthermore, it is worth noting that the Bavarians have an impressive record against Tuesday's opponents.  The current German champions have an unblemished record against Benfica, having won all five of their previous games with a total score of 17-3.

Benfica vs Bayern Munich Team News

Italian international Andrea Belotti will not play on Tuesday night due to suspension after receiving a straight red card last week against Boca Juniors.  Similarly, Alexander Bah, a defender who had previously played for Slavia Prague, is still out with a long-term knee injury and has not played since early February.

Even though the ex-Real Madrid great may be leaving Lisbon for his own country this summer, he will play a pivotal part here after scoring three goals in his first two Club World Cup outings.

Canadian international Alphonso Davies will miss the whole summer season after suffering a second long-term knee injury during March's international break.  The matches are piling up quickly. Therefore, Kompany will likely be seeking to make a few changes again on Tuesday night.

But central defender Jonathan Tah, who joined Bayern from Bayer Leverkusen for free last month, will be looking to maintain his starting position.  England captain Harry Kane may get off to a slow start as his team has already secured a spot in the knockout stage with plenty of time to spare.

Our Predictions

Goal to be scored in both halves @ 1.75 on Sky247.ng

Even though Bayern Munich has already guaranteed itself a berth in the Club World Cup knockout round, Kompany's squad will be hoping to continue its winning streak.  The German powerhouses will be pumped up for Tuesday's match in part because they want to make a serious championship push this summer and have a perfect record against their opponents. 

Bayern is looking to continue their dominance over Benfica, having won the past five encounters in a row (17-3 overall).  We might be in for another entertaining Group C duel tonight, as both teams have scored twice in eight of their last nine matches across all competitions.

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