Match for the Club World Cup quarter finals, at Lincoln Financial Field, in Philadelphia. Palmeiras is meeting Chelsea in a Club World Cup rematch.
Match Facts
- These two have faced each other once in the past. Chelsea grabbed a 2-1 Club World Cup extra-time victory.
- Estevao is the personality of the game, as he will feature for Palmeiras but is technically a Chelsea player starting from 1 July.
- Chelsea have created 17 big chances in the tournament, the third-most.
- Palmeiras have won the second-most contenders in the competition with 32, just behind Manchester City.
Palmeiras - Chelsea Betting Tip
Chelsea are certainly the favourites in this one, but they have shown weakness in the past, especially defensively. Palmeiras are firing on all cylinders, and they have what it takes to make this a close game. Their ability to score makes BTTS an appealing proposition.
- Betting tip: BTTS
- Odds: 1.95 (at the time of writing)
- Stake: 4
Palmeiras
The first 90 minutes of the Brazilian clash against Botafogo did not produce a winner, and extra time was needed. It was an intense game with a lot of fouls committed, and plenty of cards (12 total, 6 for each team). Palmeiras earned a ticket to the next stage with a 100th-minute goal by Paulinho, and are getting ready to face a tough opponent in Chelsea.
Abel Ferrera’s team, in line with the rest of the Brazilian sides, have been in mid-season form in this tournament, creating serious problems for opponents from the European continent. There is a correlation between them actually being in the middle of the season in the domestic league and their good performances
Talented youngster Estevao is certainly the defining figure of this clash. The 18-year-old wonderkid has long agreed to be a Chelsea player, and is officially one from the 1st of July, but agreed to feature for Palmeiras one last time with a special permit. Remains to be seen if he can give his future teammates and manager a first-hand glimpse of what he is capable of.
Chelsea
Chelsea's win over Benfica to advance to the quarter-finals was fraught with controversy. The Blues were leading 1-0 since the 64th minute, thanks to a goal by Reece James, but the game was halted just three minutes before the end due to adverse weather conditions. Upon the restart, the Portuguese were able to equalise and send the game to extra time.
Enzo Maresca’s team dominated the extra period, but the Italian manager was irate because of how the suspension of the game was handled by the officials. As he said: ‘It’s not normal to suspend a game. In a World Cup, how many games are suspended? Probably zero. For me personally, it’s not football.’
Still, Chelsea remain one of the tournament’s most effective and threatening teams, with the numbers to back that up. They are in the top-3 of most statistical categories relating to offensive production. There is still room for improvement defensively, as they conceded goals against the two most challenging opponents in Flamengo and Benfica (4 in total between the two games).
