Chelsea is the only team from Europe to have survived on the left side of the Club World Cup knockout stage, which has seen some major surprises with the unexpected elimination of Inter and Manchester City.
The Londoners are now favorites to reach the final of the international competition, which has been revolutionized by FIFA starting with this edition. But there are plenty of pitfalls: Enzo Maresca’s men, who have only been partially convincing, will have to be very careful against opponents who have already shown they have what it takes to cause headaches for Europe’s big guns. For example, Palmeiras, with whom they will compete for a place in the semifinals: last Saturday, Abel Ferreira’s Verdao emerged victorious from the battle with Botafogo in the Brazilian derby, winning 1-0 in extra time thanks to a goal from former Bayer Leverkusen player Paulinho, who came on in the second half. It was a real battle of nerves, in true “Brasileirao” style: as expected, the referee handed out several cards, including a red card in the second half of extra time to central defender Gustavo Gomez, who will now be forced to miss the quarter-final against Chelsea.
Estevao against his future club
Fernandez and his teammates also had to resort to extra time in the round of 16, caught by a tough Benfica in the 95th minute thanks to a penalty converted by Di Maria in his last game with the Aguias.
However, Prestianni’s sending off in the first half of extra time brought down the Portuguese “castle” and within a few minutes Chelsea ran riot, scoring three goals (the final score was 4-1) with Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Dewsbury-Hall joining James on the scoresheet.
The Blues have already faced a Brazilian team in this Club World Cup, and it didn’t end very well: in the group stage, Flamengo got the better of the English side, beating them 3-1 and handing them a resounding defeat. Maresca, mindful of this, is unlikely to take the game lightly: Nicolas Jackson will return to the attack against Palmeiras, but Caicedo will be unavailable due to accumulated yellow cards. Verdao, on the other hand, will be without Gomez and Piquerez, who is also suspended. Ferreira will be counting heavily on the talented Estevao, who, ironically, will have the task of upsetting his future club, which has just bought him for $34 million plus $23 million in bonuses.
Odds comparison
The “Under 2.5” bet is priced at 1.65 on Goldbet, Lottomatica, and Snai. The “Away Team 1-2 Goals” bet is priced at 1.52 on Goldbet and Lottomatica and 1.57 on Snai.
- GOLDBET – Up to €3050 for sports and casino with 200% on your first sports deposit up to €1000 MORE INFO
- SNAI – €15 free + 50% on your first deposit up to €30 MORE INFO
- LOTTOMATICA – Up to €3050 for sports and casino with 200% on your first sports deposit up to €1000 MORE INFO
The prediction
Palmeiras and Chelsea have already faced each other in a recent edition of the Club World Cup: in the 2022 final, the Londoners won 2-1 after extra time, at the end of a very tense and hard-fought match in which the Brazilians – with Abel Ferreira still on the bench – lost their nerve and ended up with fewer players on the field. We believe that this match could follow a similar script: the Blues are favorites to qualify, but Verdao’s tactical organization should give Maresca’s men a run for their money in a game that could go beyond 90 minutes. Keep an eye on the yellow cards: these are two of the most foul-prone teams in the tournament (14 each).
Probable line-ups for Palmeiras-Chelsea
PALMEIRAS (3-4-3): Weverton; Giay, Micael, Bruno Fuchs; Mayke, Rios, Martinez, Vanderlan; Allan, Vitor Roque, Estevao.
CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Badiashile, Colwill, Cucurella; Essugo, Lavia; Palmer, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto; Nicolas Jackson.