Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Benfica's Andreas Schjelderup celebrates after scoring.Alamy Stock Photo Benfica beat Bayern to top group, Lyon appeal relegation to Ligue 2 by financial regulator Benfica will face the runner-up in Group D which will be Chelsea or Esperance. 10.47pm, 24 Jun 2025 Share options PORTUGAL’S BENFICA BEAT German champions Bayern Munich 1-0 on Tuesday to book their place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup and finish top of Group C. Bayern, who had never lost to Benfica in a competitive game before, finish second in the group and will face Brazil’s Flamengo in the last 16. Benfica will face the runner-up in Group D which will be Chelsea or Esperance. With Bayern already sure of their place in the knockout stage, their coach Vincent Kompany made seven changes to his starting line-up and it showed in a sloppy first half display. Only goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, defender Josip Stanisic, left-back Raphael Guerreiro and winger Serge Gnabry were kept from the team which beat Boca in the previous game Benfica needed a win or a draw to join Bayern in the next round and eliminate Boca Juniors, who were playing Auckland. The Lisbon side began brightly and Neuer was brought into action early to save a Renato Sanches effort from the edge of the box. Benfica grabbed the lead in the 13th minute when Frederik Aursnes got to the byline and pulled the ball back. Norwegian winger Andreas Schjelderup met it with a first time effort which he buried into the bottom corner. The game was played in intense heat which had an impact on the tempo of the game, with both teams playing at a slow pace and conserving energy. Bayern had one opportunity before the break when Gnabry pulled the ball back to Leroy Sane, but the former Manchester City winger fired high over the bar. Kompany, who knew his side risked losing top spot in the group, had seen enough from his back-up players and made a triple substitution at the break bringing on Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Joshua Kimmich. Suddenly, Bayern looked dangerous — a long ball over to the top from Kimmich found Sane but with only the goalkeeper to beat he shot straight at Ukrainian Anatoliy Trubin. Advertisement Trubin was in inspired form and kept out a dangerous effort from Thomas Muller but Benfica offered a reminder of their threat on the break when Kerem Akturkoglu beat Dayot Upamecano but could not get past Neuer. Kimmich had the ball in the net with a low drive from the edge of the box but Kane was in an offside position in the goalkeeper’s line of vision and the effort was ruled out. Bayern pushed forward in search of a goal that could have sent them back to top of the group but Trubin was out fast again to deny Sane and deep in stoppage time Kane mis-timed a header from close range. Elsewhere seven-time Ligue 1 champions Lyon said on Tuesday they would appeal their relegation to the second-tier by French football’s financial watchdog. At a hearing earlier in the day, Lyon were unable to convince the regulator (DNCG) to lift the restrictions it had put on the club in November. “Over the past few months, we have worked closely with the DNCG, meeting all of its demands with equity investments exceeding the amounts requested,” the club said in a statement.” After the meeting, Lyon’s president John Textor said he remained confident of avoiding the drop to Ligue 2 for next season, where the club has not played since 1989. “Our liquidity situation has improved considerably,” he said. American Textor took over as Lyon’s majority owner in December 2022 from long-standing boss Jean-Michel Aulas, who had overseen unprecedented success at the French outfit. Textor, 59, also holds stakes in Brazilian side Botafoga, Belgian club Molenbeek. Earlier this week he sold his 43 percent stake in Premier League outfit Crystal Palace. According to the BBC, they were sold for 190 million pounds to Woody Johnson, the owner of the NFL’s New York Jets. Lyon have reduced their salary bill with attacker Alexandre Lacazette and goalkeeper Anthony Lopes released. They have sold Rayan Cherki to Manchester City and Maxence Caqueret to Como. Textor said his Eagle group has also put 83 million euros into the club. “Thanks to the equity contributions from our shareholders and the sale of Crystal Palace, our cash position has improved considerably, and we have more than sufficient resources for the 2025-2026 season,” said the club statement. - ‘Sadness’ - Lyon qualified for next season’s Europa League after finishing sixth in the French top-flight. If their relegation is confirmed, they would be replaced in Ligue 1 by Reims. Lyon won seven consecutive French titles between 2002 and 2008, under Aulas. “It’s a terrible blow to all those who love Lyon” Aulas said on X on Tuesday. “For 36 years I made sure that such a situation could not happen. “I gave everything to build a solid, respected, ambitious club that was financially healthy. “Today, it’s sadness that dominates. And an immense failure to understand,” the 76-year-old added. Only five clubs have won Ligue 1 more often. Paris Saint-Germain hold the record with 13 titles. Lyon are set to begin their pre-season on 7 July. – © AFP 2025 Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Benfica beat Bayern to top group, Lyon appeal relegation to Ligue 2 by financial regulator”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Benfica beat Bayern to top group, Lyon appeal relegation to Ligue 2 by financial regulator”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Bayern Munich News in 60 seconds FreeSean Grehan Ireland U21 defender signs for newly-crowned League Two champions Doncaster FreeTest matches Fickou to captain youthful France squad for tour of New Zealand FreeOn Tour Dan Sheehan goes from ‘despising’ Ellis Genge to loving ‘funny bloke’ Lions prop Revenge mission against Cork caused Limerick to peak on 18 May Ronan Early Dates For Diary Here's this week's GAA inter-county schedule and TV coverage Athlone Town drawn host Cardiff in Champions League qualifying fixture Strasbourg sign Andrew Omobamidele on permanent deal until 2029 Full Barbarians squad confirmed to face Springboks '€25, you're having a laugh' - Season-low Cork City crowd takes aim at club owner Usher Joe Schmidt rejects Lions’ demands to release Australia stars for tour games Revenge mission against Cork caused Limerick to peak on 18 May Ronan Early more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine TG4 Entertainment Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account