North Carolina, come on and raise up! Benfica steal top spot in Group C from Bayern Munich

Benfica hit early and hung on as they defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Tuesday at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup .

The result sees  As Águias  advance to the round of 16 as the winners of Group C, a title they usurped from Bayern thanks to heroics from goalscorer Andreas Schjelderup and goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.

Bayern also advance to the last-16 as runners-up in the group, with group-mates Boca Juniors and Auckland City ending their participation in the summer tournament after three matches.

Here are the key talking points from Benfica's victory over Bayern, as seen by  DAZN News .

Fast start

The Charlotte heat was an adversary for both sides, making a quick start paramount before the energy levels inevitable began to drain under the blazing sunshine.

Benfica got the memo, with the Portuguese club playing very direct in the opening 15-20 minutes. It paid off for  As Águias in the 13th minute when a quick counterattack was finished off by Andreas Schjelderup to give them the lead and, ultimately, their first-ever win over Bayern in a competitive match.

Squad rotation

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Having already qualified for the round of 16 prior to kick-off, Bayern elected to keep many of their big names on the bench to start the match.

What followed was a disjointed first half by the German giants, who still managed to dominate possession in the operning 45 minutes but had little ideas beyond that as unfamiliar teammates lacked the chemistry needed to best a determined opponent.

Vincent Kompany called in some of his heavy hitters to start the second half as Harry Kane, Joshua Kimmich and Michael Olise all entered the match, and their presence was felt immediately as Bayern spent most of the final 45 minutes on the front foot. 

However, it wasn't enough as Benfica were able to thwart all Bayern efforts and hold on to the victory.

Goalkeeping is important

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A major reason why Benfica won this match is Anatoliy Trubin, the 23-year-old goalkeeper who came up big on several occasions.

With the likes of Kane and Olise causing havoc for the Benfica defence, Trubin made several big saves — including two point-blanks stops — to keep his side in front.

The Ukrainian took over as Benfica's No. 1 upon his transfer to the Portuguese side in 2023, and more game-changing performances like Monday's could turn some heads among bigger clubs in Europe looking to shore up their goalkeeping position.

Benfica vs Bayern Munich match highlights

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