Pavlidis opened his Club World Cup account with a goal in Benfica’s dominant 6-0 victory over Auckland. The striker has been a consistent threat for Benfica this season, scoring 29 times in 53 appearances during the 2024/25 campaign. No other Benfica player matched his goal tally last season, highlighting his importance to the team.

In Liga Portugal, Pavlidis took 84 shots across 34 appearances, averaging 3.32 attempts per 90 minutes. Of these, 38 found the target, equating to 1.50 on target efforts per 90. His ability to test goalkeepers regularly makes him a constant danger in front of goal.

With Bayern Munich already secured a knockout spot, they may field a rotated defensive backline. This could give Pavlidis an even better chance to add to his goal tally, as he looks to exploit a potentially weakened defensive setup.

Laimer started at right back in Bayern Munich’s 2-1 victory over Boca Juniors, despite typically playing in midfield. He struggled defensively, losing more duels than any other player on the pitch (8) and committing three fouls. His discomfort in the position often leads to such challenges, as he lacks the natural instincts of a full-back.

During the 2024/25 Bundesliga season, Laimer averaged 1.86 fouls per 90 across his 29 appearances for Bayern. This tendency to concede fouls reflects his adaptation to playing out of position. While he brings energy and work rate, his defensive decision-making can be exposed when deployed at right back.

With Bayern likely rotating their squad after securing a knockout spot, Laimer could feature again in defence. However, his struggles in the role may present an opportunity for opposing attackers to exploit, particularly if he continues to concede fouls and lose duels at a high rate.

Bayern Munich only need a point to fully secure their qualification from the group but you get the feeling that Kompany will insist that his side go out against Benfica with the intention to win and top the group, something which could prove invaluable in the latter stages of the competition. 

Bayern are one of the few sides in the competition to have won both of their opening group games; they are also one of the few sides that managed to deal with the intensity of a South American side, as was displayed in their 2-1 win over Boca Juniors. Even with rotation and an injury-stricken backline, Bayern Munich have the quality to put a few goals past Benfica, who really struggled against Bayern in their 1-0 defeat to the German giants in the 24/25 league phase of the Champions League. 

Olise has been really impressive for Bayern Munich since he made the move over from Crystal Palace. He’s already made his mark in this tournament with three goals and two assists across his two matches so far. Across the 24/25 season as a whole, Olise registered 35 goal contributions across his 50 appearances for Bayern Munich - only Harry Kane registered more goal contributions for Bayern last season, underlining the impact that Olise has made on this side. 

Olise should be able to make the most of the momentum that he has gained from the opening two games of the Club World Cup and look to register another goal contribution here against a Benfica side that Bayern have already got the better off in recent times with a 1-0 win over the Portuguese side in the league phase of the 24/25 Champions League.

Laimer was deployed at right back in Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win over Boca Juniors, a role that doesn’t suit his natural midfield instincts. His defensive struggles were evident as he lost a match-high eight duels and committed three fouls. Given his tendency to make reckless challenges out of position, there’s a strong chance he could be shown a card in the next game.

Last season, Laimer received eight yellow cards in the Bundesliga - more than any other Bayern player. His physical style and positional discomfort often lead to disciplinary issues, averaging 1.86 fouls per 90 across 29 league appearances. If he starts at right back again, his aggressive approach could easily result in another booking.

With Bayern already qualified for the knockout stages, they may rotate their squad, potentially leaving Laimer exposed defensively. Benfica could look to target his side, increasing the likelihood of him committing fouls and picking up another card. His track record suggests it’s only a matter of time before he lands in the referee’s book again.

Bayern’s expected rotation at the back is likely to lead to them conceding more chances than usual. Boca Juniors managed to force two saves from Manuel Neuer in their 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich last time out, and that was with a stronger backline than is expected for this final group game. 

Bayern are also dealing with injuries to the backline, which may have forced Vincent Kompany’s hand anyway, even if they were not in a privileged position to qualify from the group. Davies and Kim Min Jae are both expected to miss out her,e which means we could see backup options called up for Bayern Munich here. Stanisic, who is usually a full back, lined up as a centre back alongside Jonathan Tah in Bayern’s victory over Boca Juniors 

Neuer was forced into making 32 saves across his 22 matches in the Bundesliga during the 24/25 season (1.45 per 90) but we can expect that average to increase here seeing as Benfica need a positive result to guarantee their progression from the group and Bayern’s rotated backline which is likely to give the Portuguese side more chances than they usually would against the Bundesliga champions.