Fluminense and Chelsea are playing in the Club World Cup semi-finals at the MetLife Stadium in New York.
Facts:
- This is the first-ever match between the two.
- Fluminense are unbeaten for 11 consecutive games in all competitions, winning eight and drawing three.
- Just one defeat for Chelsea in their last eight matches.
- Only two of the last seven Fluminense games have ended with more than 2.5 goals.
Betting Tip: Fluminense - Chelsea
Fluminense have gone deeper in this tournament than they would have expected at the beginning. Their dynamic play style and their clinical finishing up front have been crucial in that run.
Chelsea have been disciplined so far, beating teams they should be beating, and reaching yet another semi-final round, even if they haven’t been particularly impressive. This is going to be a closely contested affair, potentially settled in extra time or penalties. Our pick is a draw.
- Prediction: Draw
- Odds: 3.75 (at the time of writing)
- Stake: 5
Fluminense
Flu continued their excellent run in the FCWC, advancing past Al Hilal in the quarter finals with a 2-1 victory. They took a lead late in the first half, thanks to a stunner by winger Martinelli. They conceded an equaliser early in the second half, and it took a goal by Hercules for them to get the lead that would allow them to qualify. It was his second goal in the tournament.
Manager Renato Gaucho has been fielding a very disciplined and focused team. He emphasised just how important it was for his players to maintain a positive mentality after they conceded an equaliser, and he shared his optimism for the next round.
Fluminense have conceded just thrice in the tournament, thanks in part to the oldest player ever in a FCWC, 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio. Another 40-year-old, veteran defender and captain Thiago Silva, has been critical for Fluminense, and this time he will face his previous team (played for Chelsea in 2020-2024).
Fluminense’s games in the US are rather low-scoring affairs, with only two of them ending with over 2.5 goals. They have managed to score in every game following their goalless premiere draw, and they have scored at least once in every half after that.
Chelsea
Chelsea defeated Brazilian side Palmeiras (2-1) to advance to the semi-finals. They took an early lead through Cole Palmer in the 16th minute and created enough opportunities to double their lead.
Instead of that, they conceded early in the second half (53’) and had to wait about half an hour for the eventual winner, coming as a Palmeiras own goal, and leading them to the next stage of the competition.
They will face another Brazilian team there, the third such team in the tournament so far, having previously faced Flamengo in the group stage (with a 3-1 loss). The game against Palmeiras was the second straight with BTTS, and the third in five FCWC games.
Manager Enzo Maresca was satisfied with the way his team handled the game, despite the equaliser, and he expressed his confidence in his team advancing to yet another final. He also praised Fluminense’s discipline and toughness.
New arrival Delap and starting centre back Colwill received yellow cards each and will be absent from this game. It was the 4th straight game with over 2.5 goals in this competition, with Chelsea scoring at least thrice in three out of those four.
