Club World Cup: Boca split points with Benfica in an electric match

Boca Juniors and Benfica divided points in a frantic match on the first matchday of Group C of the Club World Cup 2025.

The 'xeneize' team, the most winning team in Argentine soccer, surprised everyone with an aggressive, intense, and effective approach that subdued 'Las Águilas' in the first half.

In fact, the team of Miguel Ángel Russo, an experienced manager who returned to the Boca dugouts for this match after leaving San Lorenzo. Miguel Ángel Russo, the experienced coach who returned to the Boca bench for this match after leaving San Lorenzo, took a convincing and well-deserved lead through his captain, the Uruguayan Merentiel, after a superb play by left back Lautaro Blanco in the first 21 minutes.

Barely six minutes later, the 'bostero' team hit the Portuguese again thanks to the inexorable set piece and a great header by midfielder Rodrigo Battaglia that enraptured the 'xeneizes' fans, who flocked to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, generating the best atmosphere of the tournament to date.

The 0-2 scoreline, although not due to a bulky attack by the Argentine team, reflected what was happening on the field: Boca played a game of friction in the middle and quick transitions, taking advantage of the good feet of its three midfielders—Zenon, Velasco, and Palacios.

In addition, Boca's defensive line had been forceful and solid throughout the first half, deactivating Ángel Di María, Bruma, and Pavlidis, Benfica's forward line. Marchesín, Boca's goalkeeper, barely had any interventions in those first 45 minutes.

But Russo's team, frustratingly for their aspirations, revived a timorous Benfica through their own mistakes.

Palacios, who was having a good game, coupled with Argentine Nicolás Otamendi in a corner kick at the end of the first half, generating an avoidable penalty for the Portuguese.

Argentinian Ángel Di María converted the penalty to make it 1-2.

Despite the penalty, Boca was also able to handle the rest of the match with great skill, making Benfica uncomfortable, as they were unable to move the ball comfortably or generate great scoring chances throughout the match.

In addition, Boca found another 'advantage' thanks to a reckless and unnecessary tackle by Andrea Belotti, who had entered in the second half and was sent off for a kick to the head against Ayrton Costa.

Despite the extra man and controlling the actions, Boca played worse with numerical superiority, and Benfica grew with the help of the Spanish fullback Carreras and the Turkish Kerem Aktürkoğlu.

So much was Benfica in the final minutes that, with ten men, they managed to find several set pieces, and, from a corner kick, Otamendi himself, who had already generated a penalty, Se took charge of equalizing the commitment, signing the final stalemate in a match that was very much in the Argentine side's favor.

Now Boca will have to face Bayern Munich, the group's favorite, in the second matchday, which is coming off a 10-0 thrashing of Auckland City. Russo's team will have to aim at getting the best possible result against the 'Bavarians' to try to qualify for the second round, which would have been really feasible if they had been able to hold on to win against the Portuguese.