By Mohamed Islam Bouteraa

SL Benfica finally performed well in attack at the FIFA Club World Cup, defeating Auckland City 6-0 in Orlando after a lengthy weather delay and a goal on the eve of half-time. The Portuguese side, who struggled to win in neutral locations, demonstrated excellent skill in the second half to remain in the competition and sent the team from New Zealand home with another heavy defeat.

Frustration Turns to Floodgates

Benfica dominated possession and attacked Auckland's goal relentlessly from the beginning of the game, but the first half was riddled with missed opportunities and frustration. Kerem Akturkoglu and Vangelis Pavlidis both squandered excellent chances, and Auckland's 20-year-old goalkeeper Nathan Garrow pulled off a string of excellent saves—nine in the first half—to keep his side in the match. Benfica became increasingly frustrated as a goal was chalked off and shots sailed narrowly past the target, while Auckland's sporadic attacks were comfortably repelled.

Just when Auckland City were about to enter halftime unguarded, Haris Zeb made a sloppy tackle in stoppage time, awarding Benfica a penalty. World Cup champion Ángel Di María scored with ease to eventually get the scoreboard moving in the 45+8th minute.

Lightning Strikes—Then Benfica DoesAs the teams departed the field for halftime, a Florida storm rolled in, and play was delayed for over two hours. When play resumed, Benfica rapidly demonstrated their proficiency. Pavlidis made the advantage greater in the 53rd minute with a clinically taken goal after a silky move. Substitute Renato Sanches bagged a third with a deflected shot ten minutes later, and the goals began to flow from there.

Substitute Leandro Barreiro scored two quick goals in the 76th and 78th minutes, capitalizing on a fatigued Auckland defense. In the dying minutes, Di María rounded off his evening with a second penalty, slotting his kick coolly in the 90+8th minute to seal the victory.

Key Players and Takeaways

• Ángel Di María: The Argentine veteran displayed his class with two confidently-taken penalties and relentless playmaking.
• Leandro Barreiro: Barreiro scored two late goals that wrapped up the game and demonstrated the depth of Benfica's squad.
• Nathan Garrow: Auckland's custodian may have conceded six, but his first-half heroics prevented a far greater deficit. Benfica took an astonishing 31 shots (20 on goal) and Auckland only five. 

Benfica controlled every facet of the match after the break. The win gives them four points in Group C and moves them atop the group momentarily until Bayern Munich takes the pitch later.

Auckland's Long Tournament

For Auckland City, the defeat makes it a record seven straight Club World Cup losses by an aggregate 27-1 scoreline. Although there were moments of resilience and some positives to be taken, Oceania champions Auckland City were simply overwhelmed by Benfica's relentless offense. 

Looking Ahead

Benfica have the crucial match against Bayern Munich, knowing that they probably need a solid showing in order to advance to the knockout rounds. 

For Auckland City, their last fixture against Boca Juniors is purely about pride and causing as minimal damage as possible as their Club World Cup run comes to an end. 

On a night when lightning disrupted the action but could not stop Benfica's attacking storm, the Eagles finally took flight—and reminded the world of their legacy on the biggest stage.