Nicolas Otamendi headed in the equalizer in the 84th minute to deliver to SL Benfica a 2-2 draw against Boca Juniors in a match of the Club World Cup which presented three red cards on Miami Gardens, Florida.
Otamendi’s goal, a direct strike from the corner kick of Orkun Kokcu, came when each team was at the bottom of a man. Boca Juniors, who wasted an advance of 2-0, finished the match with nine men after Jorge Figal’s red card in the 88th.
Benfica and Boca, representing Portugal and Argentina respectively, won one point each to start the group of group C. Bayern Munich previously opened group C with a 10-0 battery from Auckland City.
The score started in the 21st minute when Lautaro Blanco de Boca harmed his defender and sent a cross for Miguel Merentiel, who caught the ball at the most distant corner in front of the goalkeeper of Benfica Anatoliy Trubin.
Rodrigo Battaglia doubled the advantage at 27. Kevin Zenon took a corner kick and Ayrton Costa led a right pass in Battaglia for a close header goal.
Benfica went on the board during the time to stop the first half when Carlos Palacios’ contact with Otamendi was considered a fault after Var. Ander Herrera de Boca, who replaced the 20th minute due to an injury, pulled a red card for pleading the bench call.
Angel Di Maria pulled his shot from the place in the lower corner to the left while Agustin Marchein plunged in the wrong direction.
Andrea Belotti was shown in red for Benfica in the 72nd minute when he kicked Costa on the head by going up a ball.
– field level media
