Leandro Barreiro scored in the 76th and 78th minutes when Benfica withdrew to a 6-0 victory over Semi-Pro-side Auckland City in a group C-Meeting Friday, a plagued by a long-term resting weather delay.
Angel di María converted twice from the penalty place for his second and third goals of the tournament, once in the stopping time of each half. Vangelis Pavlidis and Renato Sanches added goals early in the second half after the game was finally restarted.
The Portuguese victors put pressure to the end, knowing that the target difference could determine who will shift the FIFA Club World Cup -Knock -outphase, and Di María earned a second penalty shot with a final slaloming in the box.
Benfica will close group C against Bayern Munich, who defeated Auckland in their opener 10-0. Officially eliminated, Auckland plays Boca Juniors on MatchDay 3 on Tuesday.
Boca and Benfica attracted 2-2 on Monday.
After the Nathan Garrow van Auckland stopped seven first half, Di Maria Benfica finally placed in the front in the eighth minute of the first half of the stop time.
Gianluca Prestianni won the chance, cut in the right corner of the box and weathering Haris Zeb’s Late sliding challenge.
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Di Maria converted calmly, allowing Garrow to guess in the wrong direction before sending his side -hearted efforts.
That enlightened some growing frustration of the Portuguese favorites after a succession of missed opportunities and 18 a total of first half of shot attempts.
In the midst of that piece, Alvaro Carreras took his second caution of the tournament, which means that he will be suspended on Tuesday for Benfica’s third game against River Plate.
Auckland started the second half energetically after the game was delayed for about two hours and nine minutes due to bad weather.
But Benfica doubled his benefit in the 53rd minute by Pavlidis, who received the pass from Orkun Kokcu in the penalty area with his back to the goal, turned around, neatly evasive a lunging challenge and finished low to the left post.
In the 63rd minute, replacement Sanches only brought it 3-0 of just a few moments after his second half introduction. His shot from outside the area took a heavy deflection of Matthew Ellis van Auckland on the way to the right corner.
