Fluminense and Chelsea meet at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Tuesday with a place in the FIFA Club World Cup final on the line.
A place in the final and at least $30 million, and $40 million if they win the competition.
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Brazilian giants Fluminense have been one of the stories of the competition so far, with veteran 40-year-old defender Thiago Silva rolling back the years to lead them to the final four. Fluminense will be the underdogs against Chelsea but they were very impressive against Inter Milan in the last 16 and got the job done against Al Hilal in the quarters. They’ve kept three shutouts in their five games so far at the Club World Cup and have looked particularly dangerous on the counter.
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Chelsea are used to facing Brazilian opponents by this point, as they lost to Flamengo in the group stage and beat Palmeiras in the quarterfinals. Enzo Maresca’s young side are looking really good in attack and after adding Joao Pedro they are even more stacked. There are so many options for Maresca to choose from, especially going forward, but he’s got the balance right in the knockout rounds so far and better finishing would have made life a lot more comfortable for themselves.
How to watch Fluminense vs Chelsea live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 3pm ET Tuesday (July 8)
Venue: MetLife Stadium — East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV Channel/Streaming: Stream every game live on DAZN, for free
Fluminense team news, focus
Thiago Silva anchors the defense and keeps everything ticking over for his boyhood club Fluminense. It will be a special day for Silva, who played a key role in Chelsea’s Champions League win which qualified them for this Club World Cup. Fluminense play a 3-5-2 system and look to get the ball wide, whip in crosses and are very good on the break.
Chelsea team news, focus
Moises Caicedo is back available after suspension which is a massive boost given his form and importance in the holding midfield role. Andrey Santos came in and did really well in midfield in the last game, but Caicedo will start. In attack Joao Pedro had a big impact after coming off the bench but it’s still too early for him to start. Liam Delap will likely start again, while Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto will start underneath them and Nkunku and Madueke will scrap it out for the other attacking midfield spot.
Fluminense vs Chelsea prediction
This is going to be a fascinating tactical battle. Chelsea will have plenty of the ball, as they usually do, and Fluminense will be fine with that as they look to pick them off on the break. This has the feeling of an extra time game. Fluminense 1-2 Chelsea.
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