FIFA Club World Cup wrap: Boca Juniors and Benfica draw after fiery clash

Boca Juniors 2-2 Benfica

In a chaotic encounter at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Boca Juniors and Benfica played out a pulsating 2-2 draw that saw four goals and three red cards.

Boca surged into a two-goal lead through Miguel Merentiel (21') and Rodrigo Battaglia (27'), sparking jubilation among their fervent travelling support. However, Benfica, despite being down to ten men after Andrea Belotti's red card, showed incredible resilience.

Angel Di Maria pulled one back from the penalty spot just before halftime (45+3'), and then Nicolas Otamendi headed home in the 84th minute to snatch a dramatic equalizer. Boca also saw a red card late in the game, ending a fiery opening fixture for both sides.

Flamengo 2-0 ES Tunis

Flamengo began their Club World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Tunisian side ES Tunis in Philadelphia. The Brazilian giants dominated possession and created the clearer chances throughout the match.

Giorgian de Arrascaeta opened the scoring in the 17th minute, finishing off a well-worked move. Luiz Araujo then sealed the win in the 70th minute with a superb left-footed strike from outside the box, ensuring a clean sheet and three points for the Copa Libertadores champions.

Fluminense 0-0 Dortmund

In a tightly contested affair at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund played out the tournament's first goalless draw. Despite a lively atmosphere, with the crowd heavily favouring the Brazilian side, neither team could find the breakthrough.

Fluminense, captained by veteran Thiago Silva, appeared to be the more dangerous side, particularly in the second half, forcing several good saves from Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. Dortmund, featuring new signing Jobe Bellingham off the bench, struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against a resolute Fluminense defence.

River Plate 3-1 Urawa Reds

River Plate kicked off their FIFA Club World Cup journey with a solid 3-1 victory over Japan's Urawa Reds at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Argentine side took an early lead through Facundo Colidio (10') who headed home from a precise cross.

Sebastian Driussi then doubled their advantage with a opportunistic header (54') after a defensive lapse from Urawa. While Yusuke Matsuo pulled one back for Urawa from the penalty spot (67'), Maximiliano Meza extinguished any comeback hopes for the Japanese side with a powerful header (73') from a corner, securing a vital opening win for River Plate. 

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