A thunderstorm caused a delay of over two hours before the second half could begin. Once play resumed at Inter&Co Stadium, Benfica unleashed a flurry of goals.
Ángel Di María and Leandro Barreiro each netted twice on Friday (June 20, 2025), powering Benfica to a commanding 6-0 win over Auckland City in a Club World Cup Group C clash that saw a long halftime delay due to thunderstorms.
Di María, a 2022 World Cup champion with Argentina alongside Lionel Messi, opened his scoring from the penalty spot deep into first-half stoppage time. He capped Benfica’s dominant display with another penalty goal in added time at the end of the second half.
Despite some early counterattacking attempts from Auckland City, the New Zealand club was outshot 18-1 by the Portuguese giants.
After the storm-induced two-hour delay at halftime, the momentum firmly shifted in Benfica’s favor. Vangelis Pavlidis extended the lead to 2-0 in the 53rd minute, followed by a close-range strike from Renato Sanches. Barreiro then added a brace of his own, pushing the lead to 5-0 before Di María’s final conversion.
Key moment
Just before the break, Auckland midfielder Tong Zhou suffered a suspected head injury and received on-field medical attention. Benfica’s Álvaro Carreras was shown a yellow card after arguing with officials over the extended pause.
Takeaways
The win moves Benfica to four points in Group C. Bayern Munich, who previously crushed Auckland City 10-0, are set to face Boca Juniors later Friday in Miami Gardens, Florida.
What they said
“It was very good. We are happy to play here.” — Benfica coach Bruno Lage.
“I’m a little bit frustrated. The first half was solid. It was just very disappointing to concede a goal. I think the guys are going to be a little bit disappointed in the scoreline.” — Auckland coach Paul Posa.