The FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals kick off tonight with a thrilling showdown between South America’s last candidates Fluminense and England’s final representative Chelsea. With both sides eyeing a place in the prestigious final, the stage is set for an exciting, high-stakes showdown.
We preview the semi-final tie and take a look at a selection of booking codes (odds at time of writing, 90 minutes only):
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Fluminense vs Chelsea
Tuesday 8 July, 20:00
MetLife Stadium
Many doubted whether the South American teams would be able to compete against the European giants at the Club World Cup, but several of the teams have been extremely impressive at the competition, including the final remaining side Fluminense.
The Brazilian team are South America’s final chance at glory, having qualified for the semi-final by defeating Inter Milan 2-0 in the Last 16 and Al Hilal 2-1 in the quarter-final after finishing second in Group F.
Their two performances in the knockout rounds have been particularly impressive, especially as they were the clearly better team against Inter Milan in the Last 16, earning an eventual 2-0 win.
As for Chelsea, the Blues are England’s final representatives and will be hoping to set up a final showdown with either Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid.
The Blues progressed to this stage as second-placed finishers in Group D, followed by defeating Benfica 4-1 in the Last 16 and Palmeiras 2-1 in the quarter-finals – a result that they will be aiming to replicate against another Brazilian side.
While they have defeated one Brazilian team, Chelsea did lose 3-1 to Fluminense in the group stages, meaning they are aware of the threat that these sides can possess and are unlikely to underestimate their opponents.
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Team News
Matheus Martinelli and Juan Freytes are both suspended for the semi-final clash for Fluminense due to an accumulation of yellow cards, meaning Hercules, Facundo Bernal and Nonato could start in midfield, while Rene could come into the defence.
In attack, Jhon Arias has been extremely impressive throughout the tournament, especially in the 2-0 victory against Inter Milan, and the striker is likely to continue his partnership with German Cano.
Former Chelsea player Thiago Silva has been arguably the standout defender in the tournament, and the now 40-year-old will be hoping to secure the victory against his former side.
Chelsea will be without Levi Colwill and Liam Delap due to an accumulation of yellow cards, while Romeo Lavia is also a doubt due to a slight injury concern.
New signing Joao Pedro could get his first start for Chelsea in Delap’s absence, while Enzo Fernandez is likely to partner Moises Caicedo in midfield, and Benoit Badiashile could join Trevoh Chalobah in central defence.
Fluminense Predicted XI: Fabio; Ignacio, Silva, Rene; Xavier, Hercules, Bernal, Nonato, Fuentes; Arias, Cano
Chelsea Predicted XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Nkunku; Pedro
Bet9ja Tips
Fluminense got off to an extremely fast start in their 2-0 win over Inter Milan in the quarter-finals, with the Brazilian side clearly pressing extremely high from the kick off against a side that they expected to dominate possession and aim to play from the back.
With Chelsea likely to also hold possession and build attacks from their defence, Fluminense may adopt a similar strategy of pressing high from kick off, leading us to expect Fluminense to take an early lead.
While we predict Fluminense to take the lead, Chelsea have a plethora of sensational talent throughout their squad, and we believe that their attacking players will ultimately prove too much for Fluminense’s defence to handle, leading us to expect a Chelsea win. You can get odds for this to happen of 1.70 with Bet9ja, which is the best price for a Chelsea win in Nigeria!
As Delap is absent due to an accumulation of yellow cards, Pedro is likely to lead the line in his first start for Chelsea, and we believe the Brazilian will get his Blues career off to a superb start with a first goal in this one.
Bet9ja Odds (at time of writing): Fluminense to win: 5.40, Draw: 3.65, Chelsea to win: 1.70
Booking Codes:
Chelsea to win in 90 minutes, 1.70: 36L7RHT – Book Here
Fluminense to win 1UP, 2.81: 36L87GB – Book Here
Joao Pedro to score anytime, 2.90: 36L8BQQ – Book Here
