Benfica need second half to get going in win over Auckland City

Benfica delivered a convincing 6-0 win over amateur club Auckland City at the Club World Cup but the game was far from straight forward thanks to a terrible first half by the Lisbon side and a lengthy weather delay that didn't see the second half commence after a two and a half hour delay.

Benfica showcased their superiority in the end, led by Angel di Maria but Auckland City's first half resilience was the talk of the first forty-five minutes of this contest. Benfica were fortunate to take a 1-0 lead to the half with a late penalty given to the club and Angel di Maria once gain coming up aces from the penalty spot.

When the second half did begin, Benfica capitalized on the fading energy of the Auckland players, Vangelis Pavlidis would score a pretty goal set up by Orkun Kokcu just eight minutes into the second half. Renato Sanches would then make it three after just entering the game, when his shot was deflected past Auckland's university keeper.

Leandro Barreiro would score a quick brace within two minutes to take the score up to 5-0 with both goals set up by striker Pavlidis. Angel di Maria would seal Benfica's 6-0 victory with his second goal from the penalty spot in stoppage time.

The scoreline was flattering to Benfica who struggled at times to break down the a semi-professional squad, especially in the first half. Lage's substitutions in the second half looked to spark the club's attack led by Sanches who could have added to his tally if not for some key misses and some key saves from the Auckland keeper.

Benfica will now finish off their group stage against Bayern Munich on Tuesday in Charlotte, with advancement to the knockout stages still up in the air, the club will be happy that they where able to boost their goal differential which may be the deciding factor if the club's participation is to continue in the tournament after Tuesday.