- Boca Juniors and Benfica drew 2-2 in a tense Group C opener at the Club World Cup
- Boca led 2-0 before Di Maria and Otamendi completed Benfica’s comeback
- Both sides finished the match with 10 men after late red cards
Key Takeaways:
Boca Juniors and Benfica shared the spoils in a fiercely contested first battle from Group C at the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA. The two teams finished 2-2 after a dynamic and tension-filled clash at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Paredes, Dybala and Pogba watching Di María and Benfica take on Boca Juniors 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/Gbzqhx8bF0
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 16, 2025
The Argentine giants took a two-goal lead in the first half – Miguel Merentiel opened the scoring in the 21st minute after a precise cross from Lautaro Blanco, and Rodrigo Battaglia made it 2-0 just six minutes later with a header from a set-piece. But Benfica responded through their veteran stars – Angel Di Maria converted a penalty at the end of the first half, while captain Nicolas Otamendi netted the equaliser in the 84th minute.
Both teams finished the match with 10 men. In the 72nd minute, Andrea Belotti received a direct red card for a dangerous high-footed challenge, and in the 89th Jorge Figal also saw red after a rash tackle near the touchline.
Following the draw, both sides now sit on one point, sharing second place in the group. Bayern Munich lead the standings with three points, while Auckland City remain bottom without a point. In the next round, Boca will face the Bavarian giants, while Benfica will look to claim a win over the New Zealand amateurs.