The Matchday 1 clash of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup between Boca Juniors (Argentina) and Benfica (Portugal) will take place on June 17 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, USA. Boca Juniors vs. Benfica: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Boca Juniors
The Argentines earned their spot in the Club World Cup based on the CONMEBOL ranking. Notably, Boca Juniors, who reached the final of the 2023 Copa Libertadores, failed to even make it to the group stage in the current tournament. In the national championship, Miguel Angel Russo's side finished second in the Apertura but were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the playoffs. This will be Boca Juniors' second appearance in the Club World Cup; in 2007, they reached the final but lost to AC Milan.
The team captain is Edinson Cavani, who has been the top scorer in both the Italian and French leagues.
- The club has not won in 8 of their last 9 Copa Libertadores matches (7 draws, 1 loss in regular time).
- No more than two goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 7 of Boca Juniors' last 9 games in this tournament.
- The team has not scored more than once in 6 of their last 7 Copa Libertadores encounters.
Predicted lineup for Boca Juniors (4-4-2)
Agustin Marchesin – Marcos Rojo, Luis Advincula, Marcelo Saracchi, Lautaro Di Lollo – Rodrigo Battaglia, Ander Herrera, Milton Delgado, Kevin Zenon – Alan Velasco, Miguel Merentiel.
Benfica
The Portuguese side is making their debut in the FIFA Club World Cup. Benfica secured seventh place in the UEFA rankings over the past four years, earning them a spot in the tournament. However, in the most prestigious club competition in Europe, they have not advanced beyond the quarter-finals during this period. In the national league, the team has settled for the silver medal for two consecutive years. Nevertheless, Bruno Lage's team concluded the 2024/25 Primeira Liga with a 15-match unbeaten streak (12 wins, 3 draws).
For midfielder Angel Di Maria, this tournament will be his last in a Benfica jersey.
- The team has not won in 5 of their last 7 UEFA Champions League matches (2 draws, 3 losses).
- The club has conceded in 17 of their last 21 Champions League matches.
- The Portuguese side has scored at least one goal in 6 of their last 8 matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Benfica (4-3-3)
Anatoliy Trubin – Rui Silva, Antonio Silva, Goncalo Oliveira, Nicolas Otamendi – Fredrik Aursnes, Florentino, Orkun Kökçü – Angel Di Maria, Vangelis Pavlidis, Kerem Akturkoglu.
Referee
Cesar Ramos (Mexico)
Matches – 5 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 15;
Average yellow cards per match – 3;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 40%.
Boca Juniors vs. Benfica: Match Prediction
One of Argentina's most renowned teams is not delighting their fans this season. However, Boca Juniors still have time to turn things around, and the FIFA Club World Cup could be the perfect platform. In Group C, there are clear favorites and underdogs, so the battle for second place is expected to be between the Argentines and the Portuguese. I believe Miguel Angel Russo's team will play for a win in the upcoming match, which cannot be achieved without scoring goals.
In this Copa Libertadores, the team did not have the opportunity to showcase their skills, but in the national championship, Boca Juniors ranked second in terms of scoring, and they failed to find the net in only two of their last 13 matches in this tournament. Benfica's defensive issues, which Edinson Cavani has exploited in his career, should also favor the Argentines.
Benfica has kept a clean sheet in only four of their last 21 Champions League matches. It is also worth noting that Bruno Lage's team's match against Barcelona in this Champions League edition, which ended in a 5-4 victory for the Catalans, ranks among the top 5 highest-scoring matches in the tournament's history. Even in the national league, where Benfica is one of the top three teams, they have conceded in 6 of their last 8 games.
My prediction: Boca Juniors Individual Total Over 0.5
