The Club World Cup has reached the semi-final stage with the first last-four encounter pitting Fluminense against Chelsea.
Conference League winners Chelsea and their immensely deep squad will have been targeting a deep run in the US and they now have a golden opportunity to reach a second Club World Cup final in four years.
They beat Palmeiras in the 2021 final and after beating the same opponents in the quarters this time, they will be hoping to overcome another Brazilian side, Fluminense, in Tuesday’s semi-final.
Flu won’t be fearing anything, though, having already beaten Inter Milan and drawn with Borussia Dortmund this summer, and they should play their part in an intriguing clash in New Jersey.
Tips
Both teams to score @ 19/20
Under 3.5 goals @ 2/7
Jhon Arias to have 1+ shots on target @ Evens
Bet Builder pays out at 5/1
Both sides should play their part in New Jersey
Fluminense’s remarkable success in the States has been built on solid foundations, with the Brazilians conceding in just two of their games and shipping only three goals in five matches.
However, even with Liam Delap suspended, shutting out Chelsea could prove a step too far. Cole Palmer finally got off the mark in the quarter-finals while Pedro Neto, Nicolas Jackson and new signing Joao Pedro, a former Flu player, are all capable of hurting defences, too.
The Blues have netted in every one of their five matches at the Club World Cup but clean sheets haven’t been easy to come by, with Flamengo, Benfica and Palmeiras all finding the Chelsea net in the US, making both teams to score a standout bet for this semi-final.
Leg 1: Both teams to score @ 19/20
Three may be the limit as defences dominate
Although both teams look set to score in New Jersey, that does not mean a plethora of goals will follow.
Just one of Fluminense’s last eight games featured three or more goals – that match came against South Korean minnows Ulsan HD – while Chelsea’s only match to have gone over 3.5 in 90 minutes at the tournament was their shock 3-1 defeat to Flamengo, when Jackson’s reckless red card left them fighting an uphill battle.
Fluminense will look to sit deep and limit Chelsea’s space and frustrate their opponents. The Blues’ talented stars should find away through eventually, while also giving up chances on the counter, but anymore than three goals in 90 minutes would be a major surprise.
Leg 2: Under 3.5 goals @ 2/7
Lively Colombian can trouble Blues backline
Key to Flu’s chances on the break will be Jhon Arias, whose pace will be essential to catching a Chelsea defence which will be without their best centre-back, Levi Colwill, out in New Jersey.
The Colombian had an uncharacteristically quiet game against Al-Hilal, failing to register a shot. However, that was certainly an anomaly as he had racked up 3,4,2 and 4 again in his four preceding appearances at the Club World Cup.
Arias has managed to get at least one shot on target in eight of his last 12 appearances and with Chelsea likely to commit men forward to break down a stubborn Fluminense rearguard, he should get a fair few chances on the counter.
Leg 3: Jhon Arias to have 1+ shots on target @ Evens
