Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the FIFA Club World Cup match.
Heading into the final round, Boca Juniors still have a chance of reaching the play-offs, but they must thrash Auckland City by a large margin and hope that Benfica suffer a defeat. It is not just a win that Boca Juniors need—they require a goal-fest. However, Auckland City will be highly motivated to finish their tournament campaign with a respectable performance.
Auckland City
Auckland City remain in dominant form. Although the level of football in their confederation is clearly below that of other continents, they continue to show resilience. Against Bayern Munich and Benfica, the New Zealanders conceded a total of 16 goals. Nevertheless, goalkeeper Nathan Garrow stood out by making 10 saves in the match against the Portuguese side. Despite two heavy defeats, the squad has displayed notable discipline, having not received a single yellow card.
Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors do not appear capable of achieving the required winning margin. Against Bayern Munich and Benfica, they averaged only 0.76 xG. Their attacking output has been problematic, particularly in the absence of Edinson Cavani. Moreover, key forward Miguel Merentiel is a doubt for the upcoming fixture, having been substituted in the match against Bayern Munich. It is also worth noting that Boca Juniors have not won a match by a margin greater than five goals since December 2021.
Auckland City vs Boca Juniors Prediction
While the favourite in the upcoming match is clear, the necessary margin of victory is simply too high to justify a confident bet on a rout. We believe Auckland City will lose by a relatively small margin. Given the weakened attacking options of Boca Juniors, they should be able to cover the +5.5 handicap.
