Leandro Barreiro scored within the 76th and 78th minutes as Benfica pulled away to a 6-0 victory over semi-pro aspect Auckland Metropolis in a Group C encounter Friday, one affected by a prolonged halftime climate delay.
Angel Di María transformed twice from the penalty spot for his second and third objectives of the match, as soon as in stoppage time of every half. Vangelis Pavlidis and Renato Sanches added objectives early within the second half after play lastly restarted.
The Portuguese victors pressured till the tip, realizing objective differential may decide who advances to the FIFA Membership World Cup knockout section, and Di María earned a second penalty shot with one ultimate slaloming run into the field.
Benfica (1-0-1, 4 factors) will shut Group C in opposition to Bayern Munich, who defeated Auckland 10-0 of their opener. Formally eradicated, Auckland (0-2-0, 0 factors) will play Boca Juniors on Matchday 3 on Tuesday.
Boca and Benfica drew 2-2 on Monday.
After Auckland’s Nathan Garrow made seven first-half stops, Di Maria lastly put Benfica in entrance within the eighth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Gianluca Prestianni received the chance, slicing into the fitting nook of the field and weathering Haris Zeb’s late sliding problem.
Di Maria calmly transformed, permitting Garrow to guess within the fallacious course earlier than dispatching his side-footed effort.
That eased some rising frustration from the Portuguese favorites after a succession of missed possibilities and 18 whole first-half shot makes an attempt.
Amid that stretch, Alvaro Carreras picked up his second warning of the match, that means he’ll be suspended for Benfica’s third match in opposition to River Plate on Tuesday.
Auckland started the second half energetically after the match was delayed roughly 2 hours and 9 minutes attributable to inclement climate.
However Benfica doubled its benefit within the 53rd minute by means of Pavlidis, who obtained Orkun Kokcu’s move contained in the penalty space together with his again to the objective, turned, neatly evaded a lunging problem and completed low to the left put up.
Within the 63rd minute, substitute Sanches made it 3-0 solely moments after his second-half introduction. His shot from past the world took a heavy deflection off Auckland’s Matthew Ellis on its means into the underside proper nook.
–Area Degree Media
