Our betting expert expects Benfica to cruise to victory on Friday afternoon.
Best bets for Benfica vs Auckland City
- Totals - Over 6.5 goals at odds of 1.72 on Betway
- Anytime goalscorer - Nicolás Otamendi at odds of 2.90 on Betway
- BTTS - Yes at odds of 4.00 on Betway
We expect Benfica to run out 7-0 winners.
- New to Betway? Learn all about the Betway Sign Up Code.
- Haven't joined Betway yet? Explore our comprehensive Betway registration guide.
- Discover the top welcome bonuses available in South Africa.
For more qualitative betting tips, don’t hesitate to check our Bets of the Week predictions page!
Our analysis: Form of both teams
Benfica will take confidence from their Club World Cup opener against Boca Juniors. Despite being a man and two goals down at one point, the Portuguese side rescued a 2-2 draw with just six minutes remaining to stay in the hunt for a top-two finish.
However, the result extended As Aguias’ winless run to four outings - a concerning statistic for Bruno Lage’s men and the fans. Thankfully, they have a seemingly easier task when they battle amateur side Auckland City in Florida on Friday evening.
Although they are somewhat giants of Oceanic club football, the Navy Blues were handed a harsh reality check with a 10-0 hammering at the hands of Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich.
Nonetheless, they will give it their all on Friday, especially after they enjoyed a few forays into the Bayern half the last time out, and there was a bright performance from Dylan Manickum.
The New Zealanders aren’t used to heavy defeats like their Group C opener. They were on an eight-game unbeaten run before that (6 wins, 2 draws). With club manager Paul Posa absent due to personal reasons, interim head coach Ivan Vicelich will have to gear up his troops to face one of the biggest names in Portuguese football.
Probable Lineups for Benfica vs Auckland City
Benfica Expected Lineup: Trubin; Dahl, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Florentino, Sanches; Di Maria, Aursnes, Bruma; Pavlidis
Auckland City Expected Lineup: Tracey; Murati, Boxall, Mitchell, Lobo; Ilich, den Heijer, Garriga; Yoo, Manickum, Bevan
A flurry of goals in Orlando
After securing a point in the first game, Benfica will be eager to square up against Auckland City. The fact that Bayern put 10 past the New Zealanders will encourage Bruno Lage’s charges. It’s not too soon to say As Aguias will dominate in Orlando on Friday.
Their impressive home scoring rate in the Portuguese league is enough to support our theory of a flurry of goals from the European side. They scored 52 goals in 17 matches at home, averaging 3.06 goals per game.
With an amateur side awaiting them, Benfica can surely double that average and come close to Bayern’s tally. Their dominant nature in the first game is worth mentioning. They kept 60% possession of the ball and had an xG of 1.77, with 19 touches inside the opposition’s box.
Those numbers spell more danger for Auckland City, as they conceded an xG of 4.28 and allowed Bayern a staggering 31 shots, 17 of which were on target. All signs point to a glut of goals in these sides’ second match of the 2025 Club World Cup.
- Benfica vs Auckland City Betting Tip 1: Totals - Over 6.5 goals at odds of 1.72 on Betway
Otamendi to lead Benfica’s attack
Nicolás Otamendi, who earned man-of-the-match honours in the opening fixture, is primed to be the catalyst for his side to secure three points on Friday. He scored the equaliser just six minutes before the final whistle and made several forays into the Boca Juniors’ box.
Otamendi had three touches in the danger area and took two shots, one of which found the back of the net. His scoring record in domestic football is decent for a defender, especially considering his height, as he’s scored six goals in 31 appearances.
Including last week’s goal, the Argentine defender scored three goals in his last five matches (60%). Coming up against a fully amateur side, it wouldn’t be surprising if he headed home from a set-piece in this fixture.
- Benfica vs Auckland City Betting Tip 2: Anytime goalscorer - Nicolás Otamendi at odds of 2.90 on Betway
A Navy Blue long shot
While all signs point to a strong attack from Benfica, Auckland City should be confident of grabbing at least one goal this time around, especially given Benfica’s recent record.
Benfica conceded at least once in each of their last five games, all of which saw both teams score. They may have been tight in defence in the league, but they’ve recently been vulnerable at the back.
That’s the kind of encouragement the Navy Blues need before Friday. Apart from being scoreless the last time out, Auckland City enjoy a surprising goalscoring record. They’ve found the net at least once in their previous 28 matches in a row.
The last time they failed to score was in the 2023 Club World Cup, where they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Al Ittihad. It’s a long shot, but worth backing the New Zealand outfit to find the net on Friday.
- Benfica vs Auckland City Betting Tip 3: BTTS - Yes at odds of 4.00 on Betway