Bayern Munich suffered a rare defeat in the FIFA Club World Cup group stage, falling 1-0 to Portuguese side SL Benfica in a hard-fought match played in sweltering conditions in Charlotte, North Carolina, on June 24, 2025. The result, secured by an early goal, marked Benfica’s historic first-ever victory against the German giants after 12 previous winless encounters.
Following the match, Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany didn’t mince words, attributing the disappointing outcome to a poor start and crucial missed opportunities throughout the game.
Kompany Laments Slow Start and Challenging Conditions
Speaking in his post-match interview, Kompany acknowledged the team’s struggles, particularly in the opening half. “The first half wasn’t good at all,” he stated. He highlighted the difficult playing conditions, noting that the “sweltering heat” and potentially the pitch quality impacted the team’s fluidity from the outset. Kompany admitted he had “feared” the game might not flow smoothly under such circumstances.
Benfica capitalized on this early sluggishness. The decisive moment came in the 13th minute when Andreas Schjelderup finished a low cross from Fredrik Aursnes, taking advantage of a defensive lapse in the Bayern backline. Despite starting with a heavily rotated lineup, Kompany made tactical, pre-planned substitutions at halftime, bringing on key attacking players like Harry Kane, Joshua Kimmich, and Michael Olise in an effort to secure a “strong finish.”
Second Half Improvement and Missed Chances
Bayern showed significant improvement after the break, dominating possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities. However, they were unable to find the equalizer.
“In the second half we created a lot of chances and missed a lot of 1v1’s,” Kompany explained. These missed opportunities included a disallowed long-range Kimmich effort (due to Kane being offside), a shot from Konrad Laimer that struck the post, and crucial close-range saves by Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin against Aleksandar Pavlovic and Leroy Sané following a defense-splitting pass from Kane.
Ultimately, Kompany felt his side “paid the price” for their profligacy in front of goal, combined with an excellent performance from the opposition keeper. “That’s football,” he summarized, “you have to take your chances.” Benfica’s Anatoliy Trubin was indeed recognized as the man of the match for his instrumental saves in maintaining the clean sheet.
Group Standings and Tough Knockout Tie Ahead
The 1-0 defeat meant Bayern finished second in Group C with 6 points, while Benfica topped the group with 7 points, exceeding external expectations and validating their work according to manager Bruno Lage.
As a result of finishing second, Bayern Munich is now set to face Brazilian side CR Flamengo in the Round of 16. Flamengo secured their first-place finish in Group D by defeating Chelsea FC 3-1. The knockout match is scheduled to take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Kompany recognized the challenge ahead. “It was either Flamengo or Chelsea. Difficult game either way,” he commented. He emphasized the need to prepare well and build on the momentum from the improved second-half performance against Benfica, despite the unacceptable result. Moving away from the heat of Charlotte to Miami was also seen as a potential “positive” despite the loss. Bayern knows they “can create” opportunities and will need to be clinical in their next outing.
For more in-depth analysis of Bayern Munich’s performance and the Club World Cup journey, consider listening to the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show available on major podcast platforms like Patreon, Spotify, and Acast. Supporting the podcast on Patreon helps provide further coverage of the team.
