Benfica edge Bayern in Club World Cup clash in Charlotte

The German side, who dominated possession for large spells, finish second in Group C and will now face Flamengo in the semi-finals on Sunday in Miami.

Benfica struck early when Fredrik Aursnes cut the ball back for Schjelderup to slot home. Despite Bayern's persistent efforts, the Portuguese side held firm, thanks largely to a resolute defensive display and multiple key saves from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.

Bayern boss Vincent Kompany named a starting line-up featuring debutant Tom Bischof alongside Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry in attack.

Manuel Neuer was in goal, with a back four of Sacha Boey, Dayot Upamecano, Josip Stanisic, and Raphael Guerreiro. Aleksandar Pavlovic and Joao Palhinha anchored the midfield.

At the break, Bayern made three changes - Harry Kane, Joshua Kimmich, and Michael Olise came on for Bischof, Palhinha, and Gnabry. Jonathan Tah and Konrad Laimer later replaced Upamecano and Boey.

Bayern pressed hard in the second half. Kimmich found the net with a fine strike from distance, only for it to be ruled out due to Kane's offside positioning.

Sane was denied multiple times, including a one-on-one after a Kane through-ball, while Laimer struck the post from an offside position. Muller had a late shot blocked, and Kane narrowly missed a header in stoppage time.

A drinks break was held due to the extreme heat, but the tempo remained high throughout. Ultimately, it was Schjelderup's early goal and Benfica's defensive resilience that settled the contest. 

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