The first semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup features a rather surprising pairing. While it was somewhat expected of Chelsea to reach this stage of the tournament, Fluminense are the overachiever here. But can they continue to surprise everybody and reach the final of the competition?
Fluminense Team News
Fluminense continued with their unbeaten streak at the CWC after managing to eliminate Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals. Their stellar performances were made possible by a solid defensive foundation, as Renato Gaúcho’s team has conceded in just 2 of its 5 tournament fixtures. Rather surprisingly, Fluminense conceded against Ulsan and Al-Hilal, while maintaining a clean sheet against the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Inter. Gaúcho’s men have scored in 3 of their 5 Club World Cup matches, and coincidentally, those were the fixtures they managed to win.
Chelsea Team News
Chelsea have done well to reach this stage of the Club World Cup and are on the verge of not only the final, but also eliminating the last non-European side left in the tournament. The Blues have managed to score in all of their matches at the CWC, but what is also apparent is that they have conceded in 3 of their 5 matches. Despite leaking goals rather regularly, Enzo Maresca and his players have thus far managed to find the strength to keep going. Chelsea has also accumulated quite the experience against Brazilian teams, as Fluminense will be their 3rd opponent from Brazil. So far, the Blues are tied with 1 win and 1 loss against such opponents in the CWC.
Head-to-Head Games
No previous H2H encounters between Fluminense and Chelsea exist. This will be the first game between them.
Fluminense – Chelsea Betting Prediction
My pick here is for both teams to score. Chelsea have gained experience against Brazilian opposition and have always managed to score, but also concede against such opponents. Moreover, the Blues have managed to find the net in all of their tournament matches thus far, but have conceded in all knockout fixtures. Fluminense have displayed a solid defence thus far, but have also shown they are vulnerable to conceding. Despite that, they are unbeaten since the start of the CWC and will be looking to extend that run.
👉Betting Tip: Both Teams To Score: Yes
🌐Bookmaker: Stake
📊Odds: 2.04
Stake
Place your bet on Fluminense – Chelsea at Stake