Chelsea is considered to have a better chance of reaching the final than Fluminense - Photo: REUTERS
Although the Brazilian representative had a resilient journey, Chelsea with superior class and experience is predicted to win a ticket to the final.
Coach Enzo Maresca and his team are in good form after winning the UEFA Conference League and qualifying for next season's Champions League. At the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, they won 4 out of 5 matches.
Despite finishing second in the group stage after a 3-1 defeat to Flamengo, Chelsea showed their mettle in the knockout stages, beating Benfica 4-1 after extra time, before beating Palmeiras 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Fluminense are the last remaining South American representatives and they have made an impressive journey. After getting through the group stage with 1 win and 2 draws, the Brazilian team showed remarkable tenacity.
They beat Inter Milan 2-0 in the round of 16 and had a dramatic 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabian giants Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals.
Fluminense's hero is none other than midfielder Hercules, who scored the decisive goal in both knockout matches. In addition, the experience of 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio and veteran center-back Thiago Silva - who will have an emotional confrontation with his former team - will be a solid support for them.
This will be the first time the two teams have met. However, their experience of facing Brazilian teams in this year's tournament (losing to Flamengo, winning to Palmeiras) will give Chelsea a better understanding of their opponents' technical and fast playing style.
Fluminense are on an 11-game unbeaten run, keeping five clean sheets in their last seven and are particularly dangerous late in games (half their league have come in the 70th minute or later). They are not the strongest team in Brazil's domestic league, though, finishing sixth in the Campeonato Brasileiro.
Fluminense had a great journey at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup - Photo: REUTERS
Chelsea, with their squad depth and superior quality in all areas, are clearly the favourites. Stars like Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Christopher Nkunku are capable of breaking down the South American team's defense.
Booksellers also gave Chelsea a handicap of 0.75 goals for the whole match (first half was 0.25). Meanwhile, the over/under was only 2.5 goals (first half was 1 goal). True to the nature of the semi-final, the two teams played extremely tightly and there were few goals.
Chelsea's character and class at crucial moments could be the difference-maker. The Blues are expected to dominate the game and end the Brazilian side's dream.
Expected lineup:
Fluminense : Fabio; Freytes, Silva, Ignacio, Fuentes; Bernal, Martinelli, Xavier; Nonato, Cano, Arias.
Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Santos, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Nkunku; Delap.
Prediction: Fluminense 0-2 Chelsea (in 90 minutes).
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/du-doan-ti-so-chelsea-ket-thuc-giac-mo-cua-fluminense-20250707220831634.htm
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